Chorus:
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Bring me a boat that will carry two
And I will row my true love and I

Down in the meadow the other day
A-gathering flowers both fine and gay
A-gathering flowers both red and blue
I little thought what love could do

Chorus

I put my hand into the bush
Thinking the fairest flower to find
I pricked my finger to the bone
And left the fairest flower alone

Chorus

I leant my back against an oak
Thinking it was a trusty tree
But first it bent and then it broke
And so did my true love and me

Chorus

For love is gentle, and love is kind
And love's a pleasure when it is new
But when it grows older, love grows cold
And fades away like the morning dew

Chorus

This is one of several songs in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Dec 1954, an article by J. W. Allen that are all connected to 'O Waly Waly'. The original of the published 'O Waly Waly'" was collected by Cecil Sharp from Mrs Caroline Cox, High Ham, August 8th, 1905.

[Key F]