William and Harriet

It’s of a rich gentleman near London did dwell,
And he had a young daughter a farmer lov’d well,
Because she was handsome and lov’d him so true
But her father he wanted her to bid him adieu,
O father dear father I’m not so inclin’d,
To drive my young farmer quite out of my mind;
O unruly daughter confined you shall be,
And I will send your young farmer far over the sea.
As she was sitting in her bower one day,
And William was waiting, he heard her to say,
She sung like a linnet, and appeared like a dove,
And the song that she sung was concerning her love.
She had not been there long when William passed by,
And on his dear Harriet he cast his longing eye,
He said your cruel father with mine did agree,
For to send me a sailing straight over the sea.
She said my sweet William with you I will go,
Since my cruel father has served me so,
I will pass for your shipmate and do what I can,
With William I will venture like a jolly young man.
She drest like a sailor as near as could be,
Saying we will both go together to some foreign shore
And never to England return’d any more.
As they were a sailing by some foreign shore
The wind from the ocean began for to roar,
The ship she went down to the bottom of the sea
And cast upon an island was William and she.
They rambled together some place for to spy,
They had nothing to eat and no place to lie,
So they sat down together upon the cold ground
While the waves and the tempest made a terrible sound.
A hunger came on them, and death drawing nigh
They folded together intending to die,
What a pair could be bolder to bid this world adieu
And there they mult molder like lovers so true
So all you true lovers that pass by that way,
Pray drop a tear from your glittering eye,
One tear drop with pity and point towards the way
Where William and Harriet a slumbering do lay.

*Transcriber’s note: Dugaw’s catalogue contains multiple variants of this ballad; this is the first of the variants listed. To review other variants of this ballad, please consult the Dugaw catalogue.

---

BBO Roud Number: 536

Other website link: National Library of Scotland