The Maiden In Birds Plumage Chords & Lyrics - Gordon Bok

[INTRO]
[Dm] [Am]

[VERSE]
[Dm]It was Nilus [Am]Erlandson
Rode [Dm]forth the deer to [Gm]take
And there he [Dm]saw the [Bb]lily-white [Am]hind
That [Dm]ran through [Am]bush and [Dm]brake [Am]

[VERSE]
He [Dm]chased her, Nilus [Am]Erlandson
That [Dm]longed for her so [Gm]sore
But swift was [Dm]she, and [Bb]still did [Am]flee
For [Dm]three days' space and [Gm]more, more
For [Dm]three days' space and [Am]more [Dm]

[VERSE]
Now snares he set on [Am]every path
Wher[Dm]e'er a beast might [Gm]go
But all so [Dm]wise was the [Bb]lily-white [Am]hind
That [Dm]he could not [Am]take her [Dm]so [Am]

[VERSE]
Sir [Dm]Nilus all [Am]through the greenwood
[Dm]Rode and rode in [Gm]vain
His hounds loosed [Dm]he by [Bb]two, by [Am]three
To [Dm]run her down a-[Gm]main, main
To [Dm]run her down a-[Am]main [Dm]

[VERSE]
Now can she spy no [Am]way to fly
So [Dm]hot the hounds pur[Gm]sue
Her shape she [Dm]changed to a [Bb]falcon [Am]fierce
And a[Dm]loft in the [Am]air she [Dm]flew [Am]

[VERSE]
Her [Dm]shape she changed to a [Am]falcon fleet
And [Dm]perched on a linden [Gm]green
And under the [Dm]boughs Sir [Bb]Nilus [Am]stood
And [Dm]sighed for toil and [Gm]tane, tane
And [Dm]sighed for toil and [Am]tane

[VERSE]
Sir [Dm]Nilus has taken his [Am]axe in his hand
To [Dm]fell the linden [Gm]tree
When [Dm]forth there [Bb]sprang a fores[Am]ter
That [Dm]smote the [Am]haft in [Dm]three [Am]

[VERSE]
"Oh, [Dm]would you take my [Am]father's wood
And [Dm]all to do me [Gm]wrong
For I promise [Dm]thee, Nilus [Bb]Erland[Am]son
That [Dm]thou shalt rue it [Gm]long, long!
That [Dm]thou shalt rue it [Am]long!"

[VERSE]
"Oh, [Dm]let me take this [Am]single tree
This [Dm]tree alone of [Gm]thine
For but I can [Dm]take the [Bb]falcon [Am]fell
I [Dm]die of [Am]toil and [Dm]pain!" [Am]

[VERSE]
"Oh, [Dm]hark and heed, thou [Am]fair young knight
This [Dm]counsel that I [Gm]bring
Ne'er shalt thou [Dm]take her [Bb]till she [Am]taste
The [Dm]blood of a tamed [Gm]thing, thing!
The [Dm]blood of a tamed [Am]thing!" [Dm]

[VERSE]
A gobbet he cut of his [Am]bleeding breast
Right [Dm]bitter pain he [Gm]knew
She flapped her [Dm]wings and [Bb]down she [Am]fell
And [Dm]on the [Am]bait she [Dm]flew [Am]

[VERSE]
She [Dm]flapped her wings and [Am]down she flew
And [Dm]on the bait she [Gm]fell
And she changed her [Dm]shape to the [Bb]fairest [Am]maid
That [Dm]ever a tongue can [Gm]tell, tell
That [Dm]ever a tongue can [Am]tell [Dm]

[VERSE]
She stood in a sark of [Am]silk so red
Where the [Dm]linden tree did [Gm]grow
And in the arms of [Dm]Nilus [Bb]Erland[Am]son
She [Dm]told her [Am]word of [Dm]woe [Am]

[VERSE]
"I [Dm]sat and broidered [Am]lily and rose
My [Dm]father's board be[Gm]side
When in there [Dm]came my [Bb]dear step[Am]dame
Whose [Dm]wrath was ill to [Gm]bide, bide
Whose [Dm]wrath was ill to [Am]bide"

[VERSE]
"My [Dm]shape she changed to the [Am]lily-white hind
To [Dm]run in wild green[Gm]wood
And my seven [Dm]maidens to [Bb]seven grey [Am]wolves
And [Dm]bade them [Am]drink my [Dm]blood" [Am]

[VERSE]
The [Dm]damsel stood 'neath the [Am]linden tree
And [Dm]loosed her golden [Gm]hair
And then there [Dm]came, what [Bb]erst were [Am]wolves
But [Dm]now were maidens [Gm]fair, fair
But [Dm]now were maidens [Am]fair [Dm]

[VERSE]
"Oh, thanks to thee, Nilus [Am]Erlandson!
Hast [Dm]saved me from hurt and [Gm]harm
Never [Dm]shalt thou [Bb]seek thy [Am]slumber
But [Dm]on my [Am]lily-white [Dm]arm" [Am]

[VERSE]
"Oh, [Dm]thanks to thee, Nilus [Am]Erlandson
Hast [Dm]set my sorrow to [Gm]rest!
Never [Dm]shalt thou [Bb]seek thy [Am]slumber
But [Dm]on my lily-white [Gm]breast, breast
But [Dm]on my lily-white [Am]breast"