Greensleeves [All 18 verses] [French translation]

1

Alas my loue, ye do me wrong,

to cast me off discurteously:

And I haue loued you so long

Delighting in your companie.

[chorus:]

Greensleeues was all my ioy,

Greensleeues was my delight:

Greensleeues was my heart of gold,

And who but my Ladie Greensleeues.

2

I haue been readie at your hand,

to grant what euer you would craue.

I haue both waged life and land,

your loue and good will for to haue.

[chorus]

3

I bought three kerchers to thy head,

that were wrought fine and gallantly:

I kept thee both boord and bed,

Which cost my purse wel fauouredly,

[chorus]

4

I bought thee peticotes of the best,

the cloth so fine as might be:

I gaue thee iewels for thy chest,

and all this cost I spent on thee.

[chorus]

5

Thy smock of silk, both faire and white,

with gold embrodered gorgeously:

Thy peticote of Sendall right:

and thus I bought thee gladly.

[chorus]

6

Thy girdle of gold so red,

with pearles bedecked sumptuously:

The like no other lasses had,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me,

[chorus]

7

Thy purse and eke thy gay guilt kniues,

thy pincase gallant to the eie:

No better wore the Burgesse wiues,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

8

Thy crimson stockings all of silk,

with golde all wrought aboue the knee,

Thy pumps as white as was the milk,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

9

Thy gown was of the grossie green,

thy sleeues of Satten hanging by:

Which made thee be our haruest Queen,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

10

Thy garters fringed with the golde,

And siluer aglets hanging by,

Which made thee blithe for to beholde,

And yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

11

My gayest gelding I thee gaue,

To ride where euer liked thee,

No Ladie euer was so braue,

And yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

12

My men were clothed all in green,

And they did euer wait on thee:

Al this was gallant to be seen,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

13

They set thee vp, they took thee downe,

they serued thee with humilitie,

Thy foote might not once touch the ground,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

14

For euerie morning when thou rose,

I sent thee dainties orderly:

To cheare thy stomack from all woes,

and yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

15

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing.

But stil thou hadst it readily:

Thy musicke still to play and sing,

And yet thou wouldst not loue me.

[chorus]

16

And who did pay for all this geare,

that thou didst spend when pleased thee?

Euen I that am reiected here,

and thou disdainst to loue me.

[chorus]

17

Wel, I wil pray to God on hie,

that thou my constancie maist see:

And that yet once before I die,

thou wilt vouchsafe to loue me.

[chorus]

18

Greensleeues now farewel adue,

God I pray to prosper thee:

For I am stil thy louer true,

come once againe and loue me.

[chorus]

• Artist:English Folk