The trees they grow high,

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 make a lord for you to wait upon

He's young,

but he's daily growing



Father, dear father, if you see fit

We'll send him to college for one year yet

I'll tie blue ribbons all around his head

To let the maidens know that he's married



One day I was looking o'er my father's castle wall

I spied all the boys as playing with 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

At the age of fifteen, the father of a son

At the age of sixteen, his grave it was green

And death had put an end to his growing