The trees they grow high, and the leaves they do grow green
Many is the time my true love I've seen
Many an hour I have watched him all alone
He's young, but he's daily growing
Father, dear father, you've done me great wrong
You have married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve and he is but fourteen
He's young, but he's daily growing
Daughter, dear daughter, I've done you no wrong
I have married you to a great lord's son
He'll be a man to you when I am dead and gone
He's young, but he's daily growing
Father, dear father, if you see fit
We'll send my love to college for another year yet
I'll tie blue ribbons all around his head
To let the ladies know that he's married
One day I was looking o'er my father's castle wall
I saw all the boys a-playing at the ball
My own true love was the flower of them all
He's young, but he's daily growing
At the age of fourteen, he was a married man
Age of fifteen, the father of a son
Age of sixteen, on his grave the grass was green
Cruel death had put an end to his growing
I'll make my love a shroud, at the hole in so fine
Every stitch I put in it, the tears come trickling down
Once i had a true love, but not narrow one
But i'll watch for his son, 'cause he's growing