The Maiden In Birds Plumage chords by Gordon Bok

Intro:
Dm  Am

Verse:

Dm           Am
It was Nilus Erlandson


     Dm                Gm
Rode forth the deer to take


             Dm      Bb         Am
And there he saw the lily-white hind

     Dm          Am       Dm     Am
That ran through bush and brake


Verse:

   Dm                Am
He chased her, Nilus Erlandson


     Dm                Gm
That longed for her so sore


              Dm       Bb        Am
But swift was she, and still did flee


    Dm                    Gm
For three days' space and more, more


    Dm                    Am    Dm
For three days' space and more


Verse:

                     Am
Now snares he set on every path


    Dm                 Gm
Where'er a beast might go


           Dm           Bb         Am
But all so wise was the lily-white hind


     Dm           Am       Dm   Am
That he could not take her so


Verse:

    Dm        Am
Sir Nilus all through the greenwood


Dm               Gm
Rode and rode in vain


                  Dm    Bb      Am
His hounds loosed he by two, by three


   Dm             Gm
To run her down a-main, main


   Dm             Am    Dm
To run her down a-main


Verse:

                   Am
Now can she spy no way to fly


   Dm                Gm
So hot the hounds pursue


              Dm           Bb     Am
Her shape she changed to a falcon fierce


     Dm          Am      Dm     Am
And aloft in the air she flew


Verse:

    Dm                     Am
Her shape she changed to a falcon fleet


    Dm                  Gm
And perched on a linden green


              Dm         Bb    Am
And under the boughs Sir Nilus stood


    Dm                  Gm
And sighed for toil and tane, tane


    Dm                  Am
And sighed for toil and tane


Verse:

    Dm                  Am
Sir Nilus has taken his axe in his hand


   Dm              Gm
To fell the linden tree


     Dm          Bb            Am
When forth there sprang a forester


     Dm        Am      Dm     Am
That smote the haft in three


Verse:

     Dm                Am
"Oh, would you take my father's wood


    Dm           Gm
And all to do me wrong


              Dm          Bb    Am
For I promise thee, Nilus Erlandson


     Dm                Gm
That thou shalt rue it long, long!


     Dm                Am
That thou shalt rue it long!"


Verse:

     Dm               Am
"Oh, let me take this single tree


     Dm            Gm
This tree alone of thine


              Dm       Bb     Am
For but I can take the falcon fell


  Dm     Am       Dm     Am
I die of toil and pain!"


Verse:

     Dm                  Am
"Oh, hark and heed, thou fair young knight


     Dm             Gm
This counsel that I bring


                 Dm       Bb       Am
Ne'er shalt thou take her till she taste


    Dm               Gm
The blood of a tamed thing, thing!


    Dm               Am      Dm
The blood of a tamed thing!"


Verse:

                       Am
A gobbet he cut of his bleeding breast


      Dm             Gm
Right bitter pain he knew


                Dm        Bb       Am
She flapped her wings and down she fell


    Dm     Am       Dm    Am
And on the bait she flew


Verse:

    Dm                    Am
She flapped her wings and down she flew


    Dm              Gm
And on the bait she fell


                    Dm           Bb      Am
And she changed her shape to the fairest maid


     Dm                Gm
That ever a tongue can tell, tell


     Dm                Am     Dm
That ever a tongue can tell


Verse:

                       Am
She stood in a sark of silk so red


          Dm              Gm
Where the linden tree did grow


                   Dm    Bb    Am
And in the arms of Nilus Erlandson


    Dm       Am      Dm   Am
She told her word of woe


Verse:

   Dm                Am
"I sat and broidered lily and rose


   Dm               Gm
My father's board beside


              Dm      Bb       Am
When in there came my dear stepdame


      Dm               Gm
Whose wrath was ill to bide, bide


      Dm               Am
Whose wrath was ill to bide"


Verse:

    Dm                       Am
"My shape she changed to the lily-white hind


   Dm               Gm
To run in wild greenwood


             Dm         Bb         Am
And my seven maidens to seven grey wolves


    Dm        Am       Dm     Am
And bade them drink my blood"


Verse:

    Dm                      Am
The damsel stood 'neath the linden tree


    Dm                Gm
And loosed her golden hair


               Dm         Bb        Am
And then there came, what erst were wolves


    Dm               Gm
But now were maidens fair, fair


    Dm               Am    Dm
But now were maidens fair


Verse:

                           Am
"Oh, thanks to thee, Nilus Erlandson!


     Dm                     Gm
Hast saved me from hurt and harm


      Dm         Bb       Am
Never shalt thou seek thy slumber


    Dm    Am         Dm    Am
But on my lily-white arm"


Verse:

     Dm                    Am
"Oh, thanks to thee, Nilus Erlandson


     Dm               Gm
Hast set my sorrow to rest!


      Dm         Bb       Am
Never shalt thou seek thy slumber


    Dm               Gm
But on my lily-white breast, breast


    Dm               Am
But on my lily-white breast"