A holiday, a holiday
The first of all the year
Musgrave to the church did go
To see fair ladies there

And some came down in red velvet
And some came down in pall
And the last to come down was the lady Barnard
The fairest of them all

"Good day to you, young man," she said,
"God keep you safe and free.
What would you give this day, Musgrave,
To spend one night with me?"

"I dare not for my lands, lady
I dare not for my life
For the ring on your white finger tells me
You are Lord Barnard’s wife."

"Lord Barnard he’s to the hunting gone
And I hope he’ll never return
And you shall creep into his bed
And keep his lady warm.

"There nothing is to fear, Musgrave,
You nothing have to fear
I’ll set a page by my chamber door
To see that none comes near."

But the page, he was Lord Barnard's man
And there he would not bide
And he was away to the green wood
As fast as he could ride

And when he came to the wide water
He fell on his belly and swam
And when he came to the other side
He took to his heels and ran

And when he came to the green wood
The night was dark and deep
And he found Lord Barnard and his men
Asleep beneath a tree

"Rise up, rise up, master," he said
"Rise up most speedily,
Your wife’s in bed with another man
Rise up and follow me!"

"Now if this be true that you tell to me
Then gold shall be your fee
And if it be false that you tell to me
Then hanged you shall be."

"Go saddle me the black," he said
Go saddle me the bay
And sound not the horn as we ride along
Lest our coming it betray."

Now there was a man in Lord Barnard’s train
Who loved the little Musgrave
And he blew his horn both loud and shrill
"Away, Musgrave, away!"

"I think I hear the morning cock
I think I hear the jay
I think I hear Lord Barnard’s men:
Away, Musgrave, away!"

"Lie still, lie still, little Musgrave
Keep me from the cold
It’s nothing but a shepherd boy
Driving his flock to the fold.

"Is not your hawk upon its perch
Your steed is eating hay
And you with a gay lady in your arms
And yet you would away?"

So he’s turned him three times round about
Till he fell fast asleep
And when he awoke Lord Barnard’s men
Were standing at his feet

And it's "How do you like my bed, Musgrave?
How do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my false lady
That lies in your arms asleep?"

"Right well I like your bed," he said,
"And well I like your sheets
But better I like your fair lady
That lies in my arms asleep."

"Get up, get up young man," he said,
"As swiftly as you can
For it never will be said in my country
I slew a naked man."

"I have two swords in one scabbard
Dear they cost my purse
And you shall have the best of them
I shall have the worst."

Now the first blow that little Musgrave struck
The wound was deep and sore
But the first blow that little Musgrave took
He fell and he never rose more

"And how do you like his cheeks, lady
And how do you like his chin
And how do you like his fair young body
Now there’s no life within?"

"It’s well I like his cheeks," she said,
"And well I like his chin
And better I like his fair body
Than all your kith and kin."

He took his sword all in his hand
The edge was keen and smart
He struck his lady a mortal blow
And pierced her through the heart

"O I have slain the finest knight
That ever strode a steed
And I have slain the fairest lady
That ever did a woman's deed."

He set his sword all to the ground
The point to his chest
"Here's three souls to heaven bound,
Pray that they find rest."