He gave her a gay gold watch
That she might rule in her own country
She gave him a gay gold ring,
And the virtue of that ring was above all things
If this ring is bright and true know your love is true to you
But if this ring is pale and wan
Your true love is in love with another one
He set sail and off went he
Until he came to strange country
He looked at the ring it was pale and wan,
His true love was in love with another one
So he set sail and back came he
Until he came to his own country
And as he was riding along the plain
Who should he meet but an old beggar man
You lend me your begging rig
That begging rig it must go on
So come and tell me as fast as you can
What's to be done with the begging rig
You may beg from pitt you may beg from paul
Beg from the highest to the lowest of them all
But from them all you need take none
Until you come to the bride's own hand
She came trembling down the stairs
Rings on her fingers and gold in her hair
A glass of wine all in her hand
Which she gave to the old beggar man
He took the glass and drank the wine
And in the glass he slipped the ring
Oh where got you this by sea or by land,
Or did you get it off of a drowned one's hand
I did not get it by sea or land
I did not get it off a drowned one's hand
I got it in my courting gay,
And I gave it to my love on her wedding day
Rings from her fingers she did pull off
Gold from her hair she did let fall
I'll go with you forever more
And I'll beg for my bread from door to door
Between the kitchen and the hall
The begging rig he did let fall
Shining in gold amongst them all
And he was the fairest in the hall