I had a true love over the sea,
Parla me dixi dominee!
He sent me love tokens one, two, three,
With a rotrum potrum trumpitrorum,
Parla me dixi dominee!
He sent me a book that none could read,
He sent me a web without a thread.
He sent me a cherry without a stone,
He sent me a bird without a bone.
How can there be a book that none can read?
How can there be a web without a thread?
How can there be a cherry without a stone?
How can there be a bird without a bone?
When the book’s unwritten none can read;
When the web’s in the fleece it has no thread.
When the cherry’s in the bloom it has no stone;
When the bird’s in the egg it has no bone.
With a rotrum potrum trumpitrorum,
Parla me dixi dominee!