The Two Magicians

The lady sits at her own front door

As straight as a willow wand

by there come a lusty smith

With his hammer in his hand

Saying bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

Why do you sit there lady fair

All in your robes of red

I'll come back tomorrow

And I'll have you in me bed

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

Away away you coal black smith

Would you do me this wrong

For to have me maiden head

That I have kept so long

I'd rather I was dead and cold

And me body in the grave

Than a lusty, dusty, coal black smith

Me maiden head should have

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady, she curled up her hand

And swore upon the mold

That he'd not have her maiden head

For all of a pot of gold.

But the blacksmith he curled up his hand

And swore upon the mast

That he would have her maiden head

For the half of that or less

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady she turned into a dove

And flew up in the air

But he became an old cock pigeon

And they flew pair and pair

So the lady she turned into a mare

As dark as night was black

But he became a golden saddle

And climbed upon to her back

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady she turned into a hare

And ran all over the plane

But he became a greyhound dog

And ran her down again

So the lady she turned into a fly

And fluttered in the air

But he became a hairy spider

And dragged her in his lair

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady she turned into a sheep

Grazing upon the common

But he became a horny ram

And soon he was upon her.

So she turned into a full dress ship

And sailed over the sea

But he became a bold captain

And aboard of her went he

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady she turned into a cloud

Floating in the air

But he became a lightning flash

And zipped right into her

So she turned into a mulberry tree

A mulberry tree in the wood

But he came forth as the morning dew

And sprinkled her where she stood.

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.

So the lady she ran into the bedroom

And changed into a bed

But he became a green coverlet

And he gained her maidenhead

And once she woke he took her so

And still he bad her bide

For the lusty smith became her love

For all of her mighty pride.

Singing bide lady bide

there's a nowhere you can hide

For the lusty smith will be your love

And he will lay your pride.