This English folksong has a lovely melody for such a sad song. My first encounter was through harmonized version by Robbie O’Connell. Here it is in an version by the group Tanna.

Now a week before Easter the morn bright and clear,
The sun it shone brightly and keen blew the air.
I went up in the forest to gather fine flowers,
But the forest won’t yield me no roses.

The roses are red the leaves they are green,
The bushes and briars are pleasant to be seen,
Where the small birds are singing and changing their notes
Down among the wild beasts in the forest.

Now the first time I saw my love she was dressed all in white,
Made my eyes run and water quite dazzled my sight,
So now she’s gone from me and showed me false play,
She’s gone and got tied to some other.

Now the next time I saw my love she was in the church stand
With a ring on her finger and a glove in her hand.
When I thought to myself that I might have been that man
But she’s left me and gone with another.

So dig me a grave both long, wide and deep,
And strew it all over with roses so sweet,
That I might lay down there and take a long sleep,
And that’s the right way to forget her.