In Bruton town there lived a farmer,
Who had two sons and one daughter dear.
By day and night they were conspiring
To fill their parents' heart with fear.
Now a famous farmer, as you shall hear,
He had two sons and one daughter dear.
Her servantman she much admired,
None in the world she loved so dear.
He told his secrets to no other,
But to her brother this he said:
"I think our servant courts our sister.
I think they have a mind to wed.
I'll put an end to all their courtship.
I'll send him silent to his grave."
Said one brother to the other:
"See how our sister means to wed.
Let all such a courtship soon be ended:
We'll hoist him unto some silent grave."
They asked him then to go a-hunting,
Without any fear or strife,
But these two bold and wicked villains,
They took away this young man's life.
They called for him to go a-hunting.
He went out without any fear or strife.
And these two jewels they proved so cruel:
They took away that young man's life.
And in the ditch there was no water,
Where only bush and briars grew.
They could not hide the blood of slaughter,
So in the ditch his body they threw.
It was near the creek where there was no water,
Nothing but bushes and briars grew.
All for to hide their cruel slaughter
Into the bushes his body threw.
When they returned home from hunting,
She asked them for her servantman.
"I ask because I see you whisper,
So brothers tell me if you can."
When they returned from the field of hunting,
She began to enquire for her servantman:
"Come, brothers, tell me, because you whisper:
Come, brothers, tell me if you can."
"Sister, sister, you do offend me,
Because you so examine me.
We've lost him when we've been a-hunting.
No more of him we could not see."
"Sister, we are so much amazed,
To see you look so much at we.
We met him where we'd been a-hunting
No more of him then did we see."
As she lay dreaming on her pillow,
She thought she saw her heart's delight;
By her bed side as she lay weeping,
He was dressed all in his b***** coat.
And she lay musing all on her pillow.
She dreamed she saw her true love stand.
By her bedside he stood lamenting,
All covered with some b***** wounds.
"Don't weep for me, my dearest jewel,
Don't weep for me nor care nor pine,
For your two brothers killed me cruel
In such a place you may me find."
"Nancy, dear, don't you weep for me,
Pray Nancy, dear, don't weep nor pine
In that creek where there is no water
Go and there you shall my body find."
So she rose early the next morning,
With heavy sigh and bitter groan,
The only love that she admired,
She found in the ditch where he was thrown.
So she rose early the very next morning
With many a sigh and bitter groan.
In that place where her true love told her
It's there she found his body thrown.
The blood all on his lips was drying,
His tears were salter than any brine.
And she's kissed him, loudly crying:
"Here lies a bosom friend of mine."
Three days and nights she did sit by him,
Till her poor heart was filled with woe,
Then cruel hunger came upon her,
And to her home she had to go.
Three nights and days she stayed lamenting
Till her poor heart was filled with woe.
Until sharp hunger came creeping on her:
Homeward she was forced to go.
When she returned to her brothers:
"Sister, what makes you look so thin?"
"Brother, don't you ask the reason of me,
Oh, for his sake you shall be hung!"
Who had two sons and one daughter dear.
By day and night they were conspiring
To fill their parents' heart with fear.
Now a famous farmer, as you shall hear,
He had two sons and one daughter dear.
Her servantman she much admired,
None in the world she loved so dear.
He told his secrets to no other,
But to her brother this he said:
"I think our servant courts our sister.
I think they have a mind to wed.
I'll put an end to all their courtship.
I'll send him silent to his grave."
Said one brother to the other:
"See how our sister means to wed.
Let all such a courtship soon be ended:
We'll hoist him unto some silent grave."
They asked him then to go a-hunting,
Without any fear or strife,
But these two bold and wicked villains,
They took away this young man's life.
They called for him to go a-hunting.
He went out without any fear or strife.
And these two jewels they proved so cruel:
They took away that young man's life.
And in the ditch there was no water,
Where only bush and briars grew.
They could not hide the blood of slaughter,
So in the ditch his body they threw.
It was near the creek where there was no water,
Nothing but bushes and briars grew.
All for to hide their cruel slaughter
Into the bushes his body threw.
When they returned home from hunting,
She asked them for her servantman.
"I ask because I see you whisper,
So brothers tell me if you can."
When they returned from the field of hunting,
She began to enquire for her servantman:
"Come, brothers, tell me, because you whisper:
Come, brothers, tell me if you can."
"Sister, sister, you do offend me,
Because you so examine me.
We've lost him when we've been a-hunting.
No more of him we could not see."
"Sister, we are so much amazed,
To see you look so much at we.
We met him where we'd been a-hunting
No more of him then did we see."
As she lay dreaming on her pillow,
She thought she saw her heart's delight;
By her bed side as she lay weeping,
He was dressed all in his b***** coat.
And she lay musing all on her pillow.
She dreamed she saw her true love stand.
By her bedside he stood lamenting,
All covered with some b***** wounds.
"Don't weep for me, my dearest jewel,
Don't weep for me nor care nor pine,
For your two brothers killed me cruel
In such a place you may me find."
"Nancy, dear, don't you weep for me,
Pray Nancy, dear, don't weep nor pine
In that creek where there is no water
Go and there you shall my body find."
So she rose early the next morning,
With heavy sigh and bitter groan,
The only love that she admired,
She found in the ditch where he was thrown.
So she rose early the very next morning
With many a sigh and bitter groan.
In that place where her true love told her
It's there she found his body thrown.
The blood all on his lips was drying,
His tears were salter than any brine.
And she's kissed him, loudly crying:
"Here lies a bosom friend of mine."
Three days and nights she did sit by him,
Till her poor heart was filled with woe,
Then cruel hunger came upon her,
And to her home she had to go.
Three nights and days she stayed lamenting
Till her poor heart was filled with woe.
Until sharp hunger came creeping on her:
Homeward she was forced to go.
When she returned to her brothers:
"Sister, what makes you look so thin?"
"Brother, don't you ask the reason of me,
Oh, for his sake you shall be hung!"