The Unquiet Grave

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The Unquiet Grave is an English folk song in which a young man mourns his dead love too hard and prevents her from obtaining peace. It is thought to date from 1400 and was collected in 1868 by Francis James Child, it is Child Ballad number 78. Joan Baez, The Dubliners, Ween, and Gryphon among others, have recorded versions of this song.

There are many different versions of this ballad, several of which are reproduced here.

The version noted by Cecil Sharp ends with "When will we meet again? / When the autumn leaves that fall from the trees / Are green and spring up again." This verse has several meanings: those particular leaves will never be "green and spring up again"; the next spring, those leaves will be replaced by other leaves (so this can be interpreted as saying "we will meet next spring, when you, too, will die"); and, at the same time it is a metaphor for the resurrection of the body.

Contents 1 Cecil Sharp version 2 Leonard version 3 Kate Rusby version 4 78a The Unquiet Grave 5 78b The Unquiet Grave 6 78c The Unquiet Grave 7 78d The Unquiet Grave 8 Ween version 9 Faith and the Muse version

[edit] Cecil Sharp version

Cold blows the wind to my true love,

And gently drops the rain.

I've never had but one true love,

And in green-wood he lies slain.

I'll do as much for my true love,

As any young girl may,

I'll sit and mourn all on his grave,

For twelve months and a day.

And when twelve months and a day was passed,

The ghost did rise and speak,

"Why sittest thou all on my grave

And will no let me sleep?"

"Go fetch me water from the desert,

And blood from out the stone,

Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breast

That young man never has known."

"My breast is cold as clay,

My breath is earthly strong,

And if you kiss my cold clay lips,

Your days they won't be long."

"How oft on yonder grave, sweetheart,

Where we were wont to walk,

The fairest flower that e'er I saw

Has withered to a stalk."

"When will we meet again, sweetheart,

When will we meet again?"

"When the autumn leaves that fall from the trees

Are green and spring up again."

• Cecil J. Sharp (Ed) (1975) One Hundred English Folksongs (For Medium Voice), Dover, ISBN 0-486-23192-5

This was the version recorded by Gryphon on their eponymous first album.

[edit] Leonard version

The wind doth blow today, my love,

And a few small drops of rain.

I never had but one true love,

In cold grave she was lain.

I'll do as much for my true love,

As any young man may,

I'll sit and mourn all at her grave,

For a twelve month and a day.

The twelthmonth and a day being up,

The dead began to speak,

Oh who sits weeping on my grave

And will not let me sleep

Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,

And will not let you sleep,

For i crave one kiss of your clay cold lips,

And thats all i seek."

You crave one kiss of my clay cold lips,

But my breath smells earthly strong,

And if you have one kiss of my cold clay lips,

Your time will not be long."

Tis down in yon garden green,,

Love,where we used to walk,

The finest flower that ere was seen

Is withered to a stalk."

"The stalk is withered dry my love,

So will our hearts decay,

So make yourself content my love,

Till god calls you away"

• Reference: Leonard, J. (2003), Seven Centuries of Poetry in English, 5th edition

[edit] Kate Rusby version

How pleasant is the wind tonight

I feel some drops of rain

I never had but one true love

In greenwood he lies slain

I'll do so much for my true love

As any young girl may

I'll sit and mourn all on your grave

For twelve months and a day

The twelve months and a day being up

The ghost began to speak

Why sit you here and mourn for me

And you will not let me sleep

What do you want of me sweetheart

Oh what is it you crave

Just one kiss of your lily white lips

And that is all I crave

Oh don't you see the fire sweetheart

The fire that burns so blue

Where my poor soul tormented is

All for the love of you

And if you weren't my own sweetheart

As I know you well to be

I'd rend you up in pieces small

As leaves upon a tree

Mourn not for me my dearest dear

Mourn not for me I crave

I must leave you and all the world

And turn into my grave.

Taken from 'Sleepless', Kate Rusby's second solo studio album.

[edit] 78a The Unquiet Grave

‘THE wind doth blow today, my love,

And a few small drops of rain;

I never had but one true-love,

In cold grave she was lain.

‘I’ll do as much for my true-love

As any young man may;

I’ll sit and mourn all at her grave

For a twelvemonth and a day.’

The twelvemonth and a day being up,

The dead began to speak:

‘Oh who sits weeping on my grave,

And will not let me sleep?’

‘Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,

And will not let you sleep;

For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,

And that is all I seek.’

‘You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips;

But my breath smells earthy strong;

If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,

Your time will not be long.

‘Tis down in yonder garden green,

Love, where we used to walk,

The finest flower that ere was seen

Is withered to a stalk.

‘The stalk is withered dry, my love,

So will our hearts decay;

So make yourself content, my love,

Till God calls you away.’

[edit] 78b The Unquiet Grave

‘HOW cold the wind do blow, dear love,

And see the drops of rain!

I never had but one true-love,

In the green wood he was slain.

‘I would do as much for my own true-love

As in my power doth lay;

I would sit and mourn all on his grave

For a twelvemonth and a day.’

A twelvemonth and a day being past,

His ghost did rise and speak:

‘What makes you mourn all on my grave?

For you will not let me sleep.’

‘It is not your gold I want, dear love,

Nor yet your wealth I crave;

But one kiss from your lily-white lips

Is all I wish to have.

‘Your lips are cold as clay, dear love,

Your breath doth smell so strong;’

‘I am afraid, my pretty, pretty maid,

Your time will not be long.’

[edit] 78c The Unquiet Grave

‘COLD blows the wind oer my true-love,

Cold blow the drops of rain;

I never, never had but one sweetheart,

In the greenwood he was slain.

‘I did as much for my true-love

As ever did any maid;

‘One kiss from your lily-cold lips, true-love,

One kiss is all I pray,

And I’ll sit and weep all over your grave

For a twelvemonth and a day.’

‘My cheek is as cold as the clay, true-love,

My breath is earthy and strong;

And if I should kiss your lips, true-love,

Your life would not be long.’

[edit] 78d The Unquiet Grave

‘PROUD BOREAS makes a hideous noise,

Loud roars the fatal fleed;

I loved never a love but one,

In church-yard she lies dead.

‘But I will do for my love’s sake

What other young men may;

I’ll sit and mourn upon her grave,

A twelvemonth and a day.’

A twelvemonth and a day being past,

The ghost began to speak:

‘Why sit ye here upon my grave,

And will not let me sleep?’

‘One kiss of your lily-white lips

Is all that I do crave;

And one kiss of your lily-white lips

Is all that I would have.’

‘Your breath is as the roses sweet,

Mine as the sulphur strong;

If you get one kiss of my lips,

Your days would not be long.

‘Mind not ye the day, Willie,

Sin you and I did walk?

The firstand flower that we did pu

Was witherd on the stalk.’

‘Flowers will fade and die, my dear,

Aye as the tears will turn;

And since I’ve lost my own sweet-heart,

I’ll never cease but mourn.’

‘Lament nae mair for me, my love,

The powers we must obey;

But hoist up one sail to the wind,

Your ship must sail away.’

[edit] Ween version

Ween recorded a variant of this song as "Cold Blows the Wind", track 9 on the album The Mollusk:

Cold blows the wind over my true love

Cold blows the drops of rain

I never had but one true love

And in Camville he was slain

I'll do as much for my true love as any young girl may

I'll sit and weep down by his grave for twelve month and one day

But when twelve months were come and gone

This young man he arose

What makes you weep down by my grave

I can't take my repose

One kiss, one kiss of your lily white lips -- one kiss is all I crave

One kiss, one kiss of your lily white lips and return back to your grave

My lips they are as cold as my clay

My breath is heavy and strong

If thou was to kiss my lily white lips

Thy days would not be long

Oh don't you remember the garden grove where we used to walk

Pluck the finest flower of them all, twill wither to a stalk

Go fetch me a nun from the dungeon deep

And water from a stone

And white milk from a maiden's breast,

That babe ere never known

Go dig me a grave both long, wide and deep as quickly as you may

I'll lie down in it and take one sleep for twelve month and one day

Cold blows the wind over my true love

Cold blows the drops of rain

I never had but one true love

And in Camville he was slain

I'll do as much for my true love as any young girl may

I'll sit and weep down by his grave for twelve month and one day

[edit] Faith and the Muse version

Faith and the Muse recorded their version of this song on their debut album, Elyria.

The wind doth howl today m'love

And a winter's worth of rain

I never had but one true love

In cold grave she was lain

Oh I adored my sweetest love

As any young man may

So I'll sit and weep upon her grave

For twelve-month and a day

One true love is eternity for two

Three four nevermore

Will I see my love true

The twelve-month and a day foregone

The dead began to speak

"Oh who sits weeping on my grave

And will not let me sleep?"

"'Tis I, m'love, upon thy grave

Who will not let you sleep

For I crave one kiss of your lips

And that is all I seek"

Chorus

"You crave one kiss of my cold lips

But I am one year gone

If you have one kiss of my lips

Your time will not be long

Let me remind thee, dearest one

A patient heart to keep

For we professed eternal love

That lives though I may sleep"

Chorus

There down in yonder garden grove

Love, where we once did walk

The finest flower that ever was seen

Has withered to a stalk

The stalk is withered dry, my love

Though our hearts shan't decay

So make yourself content, my love

Till God calls you away"