Twas in the merry month of May    When green buds all were swelling,    Sweet William on his death bed lay    For love of Barbara Allen.      He sent his servant to the town    To the place where she was dwelling,    Saying you must come, to my master dear    If your name be Barbara Allen.      So slowly, slowly she got up    And slowly she drew nigh him,    And the only words to him did say    Young man I think you're dying.       He turned his face unto the wall    And death was in him welling,    Good-bye, good-bye, to my friends all    Be good to Barbara Allen.      When he was dead and laid in grave    She heard the death bells knelling    And every stroke to her did say    Hard hearted Barbara Allen.       Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave    Make it both long and narrow,    Sweet William died of love for me    And I will die of sorrow.      And father, oh father, go dig my grave    Make it both long and narrow,    Sweet William died on yesterday    And I will die tomorrow.       Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard    Sweet William was buried beside her,    Out of sweet William's heart, there grew a rose    Out of Barbara Allen's a briar.       They grew and grew in the old churchyard    Till they could grow no higher    At the end they formed, a true lover's knot    And the rose grew round the briar.