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Celtic Lyrics Corner > Artists & Groups > Karine Polwart > Fairest Floo'er > The Wife Of Usher's Well
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Lyrics:
There lived a wife at Usher's Well
And a wealthy wife was she
She had three stout and stalwart sons
And she sent them o'er the sea
Well, they hadna been a month frae her
Not one month and a day
When cauld, cauld death come o'er the land
And he stole those boys away
She said, "I wish the wind would never mair blaw
Nor fish swim in the flood
'Til my three boys come hame tae me
In earthly flesh and blood
In earthly flesh and blood"
Well, it fell aboot the Martinmas time
When the nichts are lang and mirk
The carlin wife's three boys come hame
And their hats were o' the birk
That neither grew in any wood
Nor down by any wall
But at the gates o' paradise
Aye, the birken tree grew tall
Well, she has laid the table braid
Wi' bread and blood-red wine
"Come eat and drink, my bonnie boys
Come eat and drink o' mine"
"Oh mither, bread we cannae eat
Nor can we drink the wine
For cauld, cauld death is lord of all
And to him we must resign
For the green, green grass is at oor heads
And the clay is at oor feet
And how your tears come tumbling down
To wet the winding sheet
To wet the winding sheet"
Well, she has made the bed full braid
She's made it lang and deep
She's laid it all wi' golden thread
And she's lulled those boys tae sleep
Well, the cock, he hadna crowed but once
Tae welcome in the day
When the eldest tae the youngest says
"Brother, we must away
For the cock does craw, the day does daw
And the chunnerin worm does chide
And if we're missed out o' oor place
Then a sair pain we maun bide
For the green, green grass is at oor heads
And the clay is at oor feet
And how your tears come tumbling down
To wet the winding sheet
To wet the winding sheet"
She said, "I wish the wind will never blaw
Nor fish swim in the flood
'Til my three boys come hame to me
In earthly flesh and blood
In earthly flesh and blood"
