The Two Magicians
Martin Carthy Lyrics

The lady sits at her own front door As straight as a willow wand And by there come a lusty smith With his hammer in his hand Crying bide lady bide For there's a nowhere you can hide For the lusty smith will be your love And he will lay your pride.
A lady is sitting at her door when a blacksmith comes by, carrying a hammer. He tries to seduce her and warns her that she can't hide from him. He intends to make her his lover and take her dignity.

Why do you sit there lady fair All in your robes of red I'll come tomorrow at this same time And have you in me bed Crying . . .
The blacksmith questions why the lady is sitting there and promises to come back the next day to have her in his bed.

Away away you coal black smith Would you do me this wrong For to think to have me maiden head That I have kept so long I'd rather I was dead and cold And me body laid in the grave Than a lusty, dusty, coal black smith Me maiden head should have Crying . . .
The lady rejects the blacksmith and says she would rather die than lose her virginity to him.

So the lady, she curled up her hand And swore upon the mold That he'd not have her maiden head For all of a pot of gold. But the blacksmith he curled up his hand And he swore upon the mast That he would have her maiden head For the half of that or less Crying . . .
The lady vows to protect her virginity, and the blacksmith vows to take it for even less than half the value of a pot of gold.

So the lady she turned into a dove And flew up into the air Ah, but he became an old cock pigeon And they flew pair and pair Cooing . . .
The lady transforms into a dove, and the blacksmith turns into a male pigeon. They fly together, cooing to each other.

So the lady she turned into a mare As dark as the night was black Ah, but he became a golden saddle And he clumb upon to her back Itching . . .
The lady transforms into a horse, and the blacksmith becomes a golden saddle as he mounts her.

So the lady she turned into a hare And ran all over the plane Ah, but he became a greyhound dog And ran her down again Barking . . .
The lady turns into a hare and tries to escape, but the blacksmith turns into a greyhound dog and chases her down, barking.

So the lady she turned into a fly And fluttered up into the air Ah, but he became a big, hairy spider And dragged her into his lair Spinning . . .
The lady turns into a fly and tries to escape, but the blacksmith becomes a spider and traps her in his web, spinning it around her.

So the lady she turned into a sheep Grazing on yon common Ah, but he became a big horny ram And soon he was upon her. Bleating . . .
The lady transforms into a sheep, and the blacksmith becomes a ram and mates with her.

So she turned into a full dress ship And she sailed all over the sea Ah, but he became a bold captain And aboard of her went he Ordering . . .
The lady becomes a ship, and the blacksmith transforms into a captain and sails with her, giving orders.

So the lady she turned into a cloud Floating away in the air Ah, but he became a lightning flash And zipped right into her Shocking . . .
The lady becomes a cloud and tries to escape, but the blacksmith turns into lightning and enters her, shocking her.

So she turned into a mulberry tree A mulberry tree in the wood Ah, but he came forth as the morning dew And sprinkled her where she stood. Dripping . . .
The lady transforms into a mulberry tree, but the blacksmith becomes dew and falls on her, soaking her.

So the lady she ran into the bedroom And she changed into a bed Ah, but he became a green coverlet And he gained her maiden head And once she woke he took her so And still he bad her bide And the lusty smith became her love For all of her mighty pride.
The lady becomes a bed and falls asleep, but the blacksmith becomes a coverlet and takes her virginity. He tells her to stay with him, and eventually, he becomes her lover despite her initial resistance.