trad
Mashup of the versions by Anna & Elizabeth and Malinky. After the tune was thought to be lost, it was collected from John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst, Shetland in 1947 by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, but it's much older. Retelling of Orpheus myth translated from maybe medieval Middle Danish?
There lived a lady in yon hall (Green the wood grows early)
Her name was Lady Liza Bell (Where the hart runs yearly)
Her king he had a hunting gone / He left their bed before the dawn
A cunning Fairy with his dart / Pierced that lady to the heart
When the king came home at noon / He looked for Lady Liza Bell
His nobles unto him did say / Your lady was wounded, now she’s dead
Though they’ve ta’en her life from me / But her corpse they’ll never hae
The king he called his nobles all / To waltz her corpse intae the hall
But when the lords were fallen asleep / Out of the hall her corpse did creep
The king away to the woods he’s gone / And there he’s sat upon a stone
He sat there for seven years / Til a company ’round him nears
Some did ride and some did run / He saw his lady, them among
And after them the king has gone / But when he came, ’twas a grey stone
Now he’s sat him down full well / And he’s ta’en out his pipes to play
First he played the notes o’ noy / Then he played the notes o’ joy
Then he played a merry reel / That would make a sick heart heal
There came a boy from out the hall / You’re bidden to play amongst us all
The King of Fairy then did say / What will you have for all your play?
For my play I will ye tell / I’ll have my Lady Liza Bell
You take your lady and go home / And she’ll be queen of all you own
He took his lady and went home / And she was queen of all her ownÂ