The first published version of the song appeared in Roxburghe Ballads dated 1710; the lyrics were there given the title "The True Lover's Farewell".
The lyrics are also strikingly similar to a folk song titled, "My Dear Mary Ann"[2][3][4][5][6][7] that dates back to the mid-19th century.
Similarities include the meter and rhyme scheme, as well as the alternative title of "Ten Thousand Miles".
[10] The song has been recorded by Nic Jones, Joan Baez on her 1960 debut album, Mary Black, Eliza Carthy, Chad & Jeremy, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Liam Clancy, Marianne Faithfull, Burl Ives, Molina and Roberts, Bonny Light Horseman, Pete Seeger and June Tabor.
O yonder doth sit that little turtle dove He doth sit on yonder high tree A making a moan for the loss of his love As I will do for thee my dear As I will do for thee References 1-6 are transcribed from the Traditional Ballad Index website listed in "External Links" below