Steeleye Span - Seven Hundred Elves lyrics
[Steeleye Span - Seven Hundred Elves lyrics]
Seven hundred elves from out the wood
Foul and grim they were
Down to the farmer's house they went
His meat and drink to share
There was a farmer in the west
And there he chose his ground
He thought to spend the winter there
And brought his hawk and hound
He brought with him both hound and
Cock alone he begged to stay
And all the dear that roamed the wood
Had cause to rue the day
He felled the oak, he felled the birch
The beech nor poplar spared
And much was grieved the sullen elves
At what the stranger dared
He hewed him baulks and he hewed him
Beams with eager toil and haste
Then up and spake the woodland elves:
"Who's come our wood to waste?"
Up and spake the biggest elf
And grimly rolled his eyes:
"We'll march upon the farmer's house
And hold on him assize
He's knocking down both wood and bower
He shows us great distain
We'll make him rue the day he was
Born and taste of shame and pain"
All the elves from out the wood
Began to dance and spring
And marched towards the farmer's house
Their lengthy tails to swing
The farmer from his window looked
And quickly crossed his breast
"Oh woe is me, " the farmer cried
"The elves will be my guests"
In every nook he made a cross
And all about the room
And off flew many a frightened elf
Back to his forest gloom
Some flew to the east, some flew to the west
Some flew to the north away
And some flew down the deep
Ravine and there forever stay
Foul and grim they were
Down to the farmer's house they went
His meat and drink to share
There was a farmer in the west
And there he chose his ground
He thought to spend the winter there
And brought his hawk and hound
He brought with him both hound and
Cock alone he begged to stay
And all the dear that roamed the wood
Had cause to rue the day
He felled the oak, he felled the birch
The beech nor poplar spared
And much was grieved the sullen elves
At what the stranger dared
He hewed him baulks and he hewed him
Beams with eager toil and haste
Then up and spake the woodland elves:
"Who's come our wood to waste?"
Up and spake the biggest elf
And grimly rolled his eyes:
"We'll march upon the farmer's house
And hold on him assize
He's knocking down both wood and bower
He shows us great distain
We'll make him rue the day he was
Born and taste of shame and pain"
All the elves from out the wood
Began to dance and spring
And marched towards the farmer's house
Their lengthy tails to swing
The farmer from his window looked
And quickly crossed his breast
"Oh woe is me, " the farmer cried
"The elves will be my guests"
In every nook he made a cross
And all about the room
And off flew many a frightened elf
Back to his forest gloom
Some flew to the east, some flew to the west
Some flew to the north away
And some flew down the deep
Ravine and there forever stay