X:1
T:Death and the Lady
B:Broadwood, L, 1908, English Traditional Songs and Carols, London, Boosey
N:Reprinted by EP Publishing Limited, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa, New Jersey, 1974
Z:Lucy Broadwood
F:http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
M:C     %Meter
L:1/8     %
K:G
G2 |B2 B2 d3 d | d2 d2 (AB) c2 |B4 z2
w:"Fair la-dy, throw those cost-ly robes_ a-side.
G2 |B2 B2 d3 d |d2 d2 (AB) c2 | B4 z2
w:No lon-ger may you glo-ry in_ your pride.
d2 |G2 G2 G2 G2 | B2 d2 B2 G2 |A4 z2
w:Take leave of all your car-nal vain de-light;
G2 |B2 B2 d2 d2 |d2 d2 A2 B2 |G6
w:I'm come to sum-mon you a-way this night."
 G2 |B3 B d2 d2 |d z d2 (AB) c2 | B6
w: "What bold at-tempt is this? pray let_ me know
B2 G2 |B2 d2 d2 |d2 A2 (AB) c2 |A4 z2
w:From  whence you come and with-er I_ must go.
d2 |G3 G G2 G2 | B2 d2 B2 G2 |A6
w:Shall I, who am a la-dy, stoop or bow
   G2 |B2 B2 d2 d2 |d d2 z A2 B2 | G4 |]
w:To such a pale faced vis-age? Who art thou?"
W:DEATH:
W:
W:Fair Lady, throw those costly robes aside,
W:No longer may you glory in your pride;
W:Take leave of all your carnal vain delight,
W:I'm come to summon you away this night."
W:
W:LADY.:
W:
W:What bold attempt is this? Pray let me know
W:From whence you come, and whither I must go.
W:Shall I, who am a lady, stoop or bow
W:To such a pale-faced visage? Who art thou?
W:
W:D. "Do you not know me? I will tell you then:
W:I am he that conquers all the sons of men,
W:No pitch of honour from my dart is free,
W:My name is Death! Have you not heard of me?"
W:
W:L: Yes; I have heard of thee, time after time;
W:But, being in the glory of my prime,
W:I did not think you would have come so soon;
W:Why must my morning sun go down at noon?"
W:
W:D. "Talk not of noon! you may as well be mute;
W:There is no time at all for vain dispute,
W:Your riches, gold, and garments, jewels bright,
W:Your house, and land, must on new owners light:" 
W:
W:L. "My heart is cold; it trembles at such news!
W:There's bags of gold, if you will me excuse 
W:And seize on those; and finish thou their strife,
W:Who wretched are, and weary of their life.
W:
W:L: Are there not many bound in prison strong
W:In bitter grief? and souls that languish long,
W:Who could but find the grave a place of rest
W:From all their grief, by which they are opprest..
W:
W:L: Besides there's many with a hoary head
W:And palsied joints; from whom all joy is fled.
W:Release thou them whose sorrows are so great,
W:And spare my life until a later date!"
W:
W:<em>D:`</em>Though thy vain heart to riches is inclined
W:Yet thou must die and leave them all behind.
W:I come to none before their warrant's sealed,
W:And, when it is, they must submit, and yield.
W:
W:D:Though some by age be full of grief and pain,
W:Till their appointed time they must remain;
W:I take no bribe, believe me, this is true.
W:Prepare yourself to go; I'm come for you"
W:
W:<em>L: </em>But if, oh! if you could for me obtain
W:A freedom, and a longer life to reign,
W:Fain would I stay, if thou my life wouldst spare.
W:I have a daughter, beautiful and fair,
W: Iwish to see her wed, whom I adore;
W:Grant me but this, and I will ask no more."
W:
W:D. "This is a slender frivolous excuse!
W:I have you fast! I will not let you loose!
W:Leave her to Providence, for you must go
W:Along with me, whether you will or no!
W:
W:D: If Death commands the King to leave his crown
W:He at my feet must lay his sceptre down;
W:Then, if to Kings I do not favour give
W:But cut them off, can you expect to live
W:Beyond the limits of your time and space?
W:No! I must send you to another place:"
W:
W:L:<em>"</em>Ye<em> </em>learned doctors, now exert your skill,
W:And let not Death on me obtain his will!
W:Prepare your cordials, let me comfort find,
W:My gold shall fly like chaff before the wind!"
W:
W:D:"Forbear to call! that skill will never do; T
W:hey are but mortals here as well as you.
W:I give the fatal wound, my dart is sure,
W:And far beyond the doctors' skill to cure.
W:
W:D:How freely you can let your riches fly
W:To purchase life, rather than yield and die!
W:But, while you flourished here with all your store,
W:You would not give one penny to the poor.
W:
W:D: Though in God's name they sue to you did make
W:You would not spare one penny for His sake.
W:My Lord beheld wherein you did amiss,
W:And calls you hence, to give account of this.
W:
W:L: "Oh! heavy news! must I no longer stay?
W:How shall I stand at the great Judgement Day?"
W:Down from her eyes the crystal tears did flow,
W:She says "None knows what I now undergo!"
W:
W:L: Upon my bed of sorrow here I lie!
W:My selfish life makes me afraid to die!
W:My sins are great, and manifold, and foul;
W:Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on my soul!
W:
W:L: Alas! I do deserve a righteous frown!
W:Yet pardon, Lord, and pour a blessing down!"
W:Then with a dying sigh her heart did break,
W:And did the pleasures of this world forsake.
W:
W:Thus may we see the mighty rise and fall,
W:For cruel Death shews no respect at all
W:To those of either high or low degree.
W:The great submit to Death as well as we.
W:
W:Though they are gay, their life is but a span,
W:A lump of clay, so vile a creature's Man!
W:Then happy they whom God hath made his care,
W:And die in God, and ever happy are!
W:
W:The grave's the market place where all must meet
W:Both rich and poor, as well as small and great;
W:If life were merchandise, that gold could buy,
W:The rich would live - only the poor would die.
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