Little birds are singing all around me, on every bush and vine, My pleasures would be doubled if I could call you mine. As I've sat here the whole night through till now it's a breakin' day, I'm awaitin' for an answer, kind lady what do you say? If I could tell to you my mind, I would choose a single life, For I would never thought that it suited for me to be your wife. So he wrote to her an answer and he sent it by full speed, "You know I once did love you dearly, I once loved you indeed. "But since that time my mind has changed, I loved another way, I love a pretty fair damsel more suitable for me" And it had not been, but a very short time 'til this maiden's mind did change, She wrote him a letter, "Kind sir I am ashamed, "If ever I have slighted you, or ever done you wrong, I am so far away from you that I can't hear you moan" Little birds are singing all around me, on every bush and vine, My pleasures would be doubled if I could call you mine; My pleasures would be doubled if I could call you mine