The lark in the morn as she rises from her nest
Mounts thro' the white air, with the dew on her breast,
'Long with the pretty ploughboy, she'll whistle and she'll sing,
And return to her nest in the cool evening,
And return to her nest in the cool evening.

One morning she mounted so cherrily on high,
She look'd round about her and at the dark sky,
And loudly she was singing and twittering her lay,
There's no life like the ploughboy's in the sweet month of May.
There's no life, etc.

When the day's work is ended and over, he'll go
To fair or to market to buy him a bow,
And whistle as he walks, O! and shrilly too will sing,
There's no life like the ploughboy's all in merry spring.
There's no life like the ploughboy's in the sweet month of May.
There's no life, etc.

Good luck to the ploughboy wherever he may be,
A fair pretty maiden he'll take on his knee,
He'll drink the nut-brown ale, and this song the lad will sing,
Oh! the ploughboy is happier than noble or king.
Oh! the ploughboy etc.

abc | midi | pdf

---

Source: Baring-Gould, S, and Fleetwood Sheppard, H, A Garland of Country Song, London,1895

Notes:
Broadside editions at the Bodleian Library collection (all have the "As I was a-walking" stanza) are:

The lark in the morning ("As I was a walking one morning in May ...")
Harding B 11(3684)
Printer: [s.n.] ([s.l.])
Date: [s.a.]

The lark in the morning ("As I was a walking one morning in May ...")
Harding B 25(1070)
Imprint: Swindells, Printer (Manchester) (Date: between 1796 and 1853)

The lark in the morning ("As I was a walking one morning in May ...")
Firth c.18(172)
Imprint: H. Disley, Printer, 57, High-street, St. Giles (Date: between 1860 and 1883)

The lark in the morning ("As I was a walking one morning in May ...")
Firth b.34(224)
Imprint: London: H. Such, Machine Printer & Publisher, 177, Union Street, Boro'., S.E. Printer's Series: (485). (Date: between 1863 and 1885)

The lark in the morning ("As I was a walking one morning in May ...")
Harding B 16(125c)
Printer: Such, H. (London) (Date: between 1849 and 1862)
Note: Slip. Part of a sheet of two ballads; see Firth b.34(224) for the imprint.

Lark in the morning ("As I was walkiug [sic] one morning in May ...")
Harding B 11(2060)
Imprint: J.O. Bebbington, Printer, 26, Goulden-street, Oldham Road, Manchester, and sold by John Beaumont, 176, York-street, Leeds. Printer's Series: (342). (Date: between 1855 and 1858)


Roud: 151 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: