Early one morning, just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing in the valley below.
Oh, don’t deceive me, oh, never leave me,
How could you use a poor maiden so?
Oh, he had promised, ever to love me,
Long did I wait him, so faithful, so true.
Oh, don’t deceive me, oh, never leave me,
How could you use a poor maiden so?
He rode at daybreak, far o’er the mountain,
Leaving me weeping in sorrow and woe.
Oh, don’t deceive me, oh, never leave me,
How could you use a poor maiden so?
Soft blows the breezes, over the meadows,
Swift runs the stream by the valley below.
Oh, don’t deceive me, oh, never leave me,
How could you use a poor maiden so?
Credits
This poem is published on Ririro by Ririro, a curated collection of free short stories, poems, and nursery rhymes for readers of all kinds. "Early One Morning" is a traditional English folk song with roots stretching back to at least the early 19th century, widely sung and adapted across generations. Its simple, repeating refrain has made it one of the most enduring and emotionally resonant songs in the English folk tradition.
