Lyrics:

Steeleye Span sing
The Royal Forester


It's of a shepherd's daughter dear
Keeping sheep all on the plain;
Who should ride by but Knight William
And he'd got drunk by wine.
With me right fal-lal-al diddle-al-day

I am a forester of this land
As you may plainly see,
It's the mantle of your maidenhead
That I would have from thee.


Well, he has mounted off his horse
And quickly laid her down,
And when he's had his will of her
He rose her up again.
With me right … (chorus after each verse)

He's taken her by the milk-white hand
And by the leylan sleeve,
He's lain her down upon her back
And asked no man's leave.


“Since you have had your will of me,
Pray tell to me your name,
So when our dear little babe is born,
I might call him the same.”

“Now since you've lain me down young man,
You must take me up again,
And since you've had your wills of me,
Come tell to me your name.”


“Sometimes they call me Jack,” he said,
“Sometimes they call me John;
But when I am at the King's high court
They call me Knight William.”

“Some call me Jim, some call me John,
Begad it's all the same;
But when I'm in the King's high court
Erwilian is my name.”


She being a good scholar,
She's spelt it o'er again,
“Erwilian, that's a Latin word,
But Willy is your name.”


He's put his foot all in the stirrup,
And away he then did ride.
She's tied a handkerchief around her waist,
And followed at the horse's side.

Now when he heard his name pronounced,
He mounted his high horse.
She's belted up her petticoat
And followed with all her force.


She's run till she come to the river brink,
She's fell on her belly and swam.
And when she came to the other side
She took to her heels and she ran.

He rode and she ran
A long summer day,
Until they came by the river
That's commonly called the Tay.


“The water, it's too deep, my love,
I'm afraid you cannot wade.”
But afore he'd ridden his horse well in
She was on the other side.


She run till she come to the King's high court,
She's knock-ed and she's ring;
There's none so ready as the King himself
To let this fair maid in.

She went up to the king's high door,
She knocked and she went in,
Said, “One of your chancellor's robbed me
And he's robbed me right and clean.”


“Good morn to you, fair maid,” he said,
“Good morn, kind Sir,” said she,
“Have you a knight all in your court
This day have robb-ed me?”


“Well, have he robbed you of your gold?
Or any of your store?
Or have he robbed you of your gold ring
You wear on your little finger?”

“Has he robbed you of your mantle?
Has he robbed you of your ring?”
“No, he's robbed me of my maidenhead
And another I can't find.”


“Well, he ain't robbed me of me gold
Or any of me store;
But he's robbed me of my maidenhead
Which grieves my heart full sore.”


“Well, if he be a married man
Then hang-ed he shall be;
But if he be a single man
Then his body I will give to thee.”

“If he be a married man
Then hang-ed he shall be,
And if he be a single man
He shall marry thee.”


The King has call-ed all his men,
By one, by two, by three;
Knight William used to be the foremost man
But now all behind comes he.

“Oh curs-ed be the very hour
That I got drunk by wine
For to have a shepherd's daughter dear
To be a true lover of mine.”

“Well, if you think me a shepherd's daughter
Leave to me alone.
If you make me lady of a thousand men
I'll make you lord of ten.”


So then these two to church they went
And then small things was done.
She appeared like some Duke's daughter
And him like a squire's son.

This couple they got married,
They live in Huntley town.
She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter,
And he's the blacksmith's son