Lady Margaret sits in her father's door
Sewing a silken seam
She's heard a note from Elmond's wood
And wished that she was there
She's thrown her needle to her side
And the thread down to her knee
And she is gone to Elmond's wood
As fast as she could fly
She's walked among the bustling wood
And sat down by the stone
And by it came a hind etin
Saying lady, leave alone
You may not pull the flowers here
Nor shade under this tree
For I'm the keeper of this wood
And none may go but me
I heard a note from Elmond's wood
It floated on the wind
The sweetest music ere I heard
That drew me here within
And something in her winsome smile
It caused his heart to moan
And he's fluted her into a trance
To keep her as his own
He's got the branches from the oak
The rushes from the stream
And he has made a shady bower
To keep his lady in
She had not been so very long
So long away from home
Til she grew heavy round the waist
A child coming on
She had not been but seven years
Seven years away
Til she has born him seven sons
To keep her company
But her heart, it mourned the loss
Of the world she's left behind
That every hour of the day
The tears come rolling down
Then up and spoke her eldest son
Sat at his father's knee
'What makes our mother for to weep
And mourn continually?'
'Your mother was a king's daughter
Sprung from some high decree
She would've had some noble prince
If not been stole by me'
So that night as they lay in one bower
Before the close of day
The eldest took his flute in hand
And he began to play
He seldid such a soothing note
For he had learnt it well
His father fell into a trance
His mother followed his fell
She's tucked her children in her arms
And started for the town
And every mile this lady ran
Her heart was beating strong
And when she reached her father's house
It was not even day
And not one hour had even passed
Since she had been away
The king's awoken in the wall
And called his court around
And he has sent his merry men
To burn the woodland down
They lived inside the royal house
For long and lovely day
And when the king he was deceased
Etin to the crown was laid