The trees they do grow high and the trees they do grow green But the days have gone and passed my love that thou and I were seen It’s a cold winter’s night my love, it’s now that I must lie alone My bonny boy you were young, but a-growing Oh father dearest father, I fear you’ve done me harm For you’ve married me to a bonny boy, but you know he is too young Oh daughter dearest daughter if you will stay at home with me A lady you shall be while he’s growing We’ll send him to the college for one year or two And then perhaps in time my love, a man he’ll make for you I’ll buy you white ribbons to tie around his bonny waist To let the ladies know that he’s married At the age of sixteen he was a married man At the age of seventeen he was the father of a son At the age of eighteen my love, his grave it was a-growing green And death had put an end to his growing I made my love a shroud of the holland o-so fine And every stitch I put in it the tears they did run down Oh once I had a sweetheart, but now he’s lying in the ground But I’ll nurse his bonny boy while he’s growing O now my love is dead and in his grave doth lie The green grass that covers him, it groweth up so high O once a had a sweetheart, but now I have got ne’er a one So fare thee well my own true love for ever