["Are you awake, sweet William?" shee said,]
"Or, sweet William, are you asleep?
God give you joy of your gay bride-bed,
And me of my winding-sheet."
When day was come, and night 'twas gone,25
And all men wak'd from sleep,
Sweet William to his lady sayd,
"My dear, I have cause to weep.
"I dreamt a dream, my dear ladye,
Such dreames are never good:30
I dreamt my bower was full of red swine,
And my bride-bed full of blood."
"Such dreams, such dreams, my honoured sir,
They never do prove good;
To dream thy bower was full of red swine,35
And thy bride-bed full of blood."
He called up his merry men all,
By one, by two, and by three;
Saying, "I'll away to fair Marg'ret's bower,
By the leave of my ladie."40
And when he came to fair Marg'ret's bower,
He knocked at the ring;
And who so ready as her seven brethren,
To let sweet William in.
Then he turned up the covering-sheet;45
"Pray let me see the dead;
Methinks she looks all pale and wan,
She hath lost her cherry red.
"I'll do more for thee, Margaret,
Than any of thy kin:50
For I will kiss thy pale wan lips,
Though a smile I cannot win."
With that bespake the seven brethren,
Making most piteous mone,
"You may go kiss your jolly brown bride,55
And let our sister alone."