The Sprig of Thyme

He immediately harmonised the song; and that same evening it was sung at a choir supper by Mattie Kay, Cecil Sharp accompanying.

In a version of Let No Man Steal Your Thyme,[1] she wishes she were in her lover’s arms but she tells false men not to give her cause to complain about the grass underfoot being "trodden down" – in time, it will rise again.

In some versions of Garners Gay,[6] the narrator plucks up all rue and plants a sturdy oak in its place with the hope that it will grow strong and remain as true as the stars do to the sky.

[9] Other traditional English singers who performed the song include Fred Jordan of Ludlow, Shropshire, England,[10] and George "Pop" Maynard, whose recording is also available via the British Library Sound Archive.

[11] A version performed by Patrick Green of Ballinalee, Co. Longford, Ireland[12] may have been the ultimate source of several popular recordings including that of Pentangle.