Two pretty boys were goin' tae the schoolnAnd one evening coming homenSays William to John, Can you throw a stonenOr can you play at a ball, a ball, nor can you play at a ballnnSays John to William, I canna' throw a stonenLittle can I play at a ballnBut if you'll go down to a merry green woodsnI'll try you a wrestlin' fall, a fall, nI'll try you a wrestlin' fallnnSo they went down tae a merry green woodsnBeneath the spreadin' boughnThe little penknife fell out of William's coatnAnd gave John his deadly wound, wound, nand gave John his deadly woundnnAh, now you'll take off your white Holland shirtnAnd teer it frae gore tae gorenAnd you will bind my deadly woundsnThat they might bleed no more, no more, nthat they might bleed no morennSo he's ta'en off his white Holland shirtnAnd he's torn it frae gore tae gorenAnd though he's bound his deadly woundsnAh, they bled ten times more, more, nthey bled ten times morennAh but what shall I tell to your father dearnThis night when I go homenTell him I'm away to a London schoolnAnd a good scholar I'll come home, home, na good scholar I'll come homennAh but what shall I tell to your sister dearnThis night when I go homenTell her I'm away to a London schoolnAnd the good books I'll bring home, home, nthe good books I'll bring homennAh but what shall I tell to your sweetheart dearnThis night when I go homenTell her I'm dead and in the grave laidnAnd the grass is growin' green, green, nthe grass is growin' greennnAh but what shall I tell to your stepmother dearnThis night when I go homenTell her I'm dead and in the grave laidnFor she prayed I might never come home, home, nshe prayed I might never come home