A Nobleman's Wedding - Altan

Lately last night, I was asked to a wedding

The wedding of a fair maid who proved to me unkind

For that day as she thought of her intended young lover

Thoughts of her old one had run through her mind

Supper being over and all things were ended

Every young man was to sing a fine song

Until it came to the turn of her own foreign lover

And the song that he sang to the bride did belong

How can you sit at another man’s table?

How can you drink of another man’s wine?

How can you lie in the arms of another?

Many’s the night, love, that you lay in mine

Many’s the one has been seven years parted

Seven years parted and did return again

But I have only been two years away, love

Two years away, love, and did return again

The bride, she was seated at the head of the table

Very well she knew to whom the song did belong

Her heart, it grew faint, she could stand it no longer

Down at the feet of the bridegroom she fell

Sobbing and sighing she rose from the table

Sobbing and sighing she went to her bed

Early next morning the bridegroom awakened

He turned to embrace her and found she was dead

Saying, «Annie, dear Annie, I knew you never loved me

My love and your love could never agree

For I knew all along that your poor heart was breaking

All for the sake of a foreign young man»

So now I must wear a frock of deep mourning

A frock of deep mourning, one, two and three

I must wear to her wake my own wedding garment

Ne’er again shall I go between the bark and the tree