Come all you fair and tender girls That flourish in your prime, prime Beware, beware, keep your garden fair And let no man steal your thyme, thyme Let no man steal your thyme For when your thyme is past and gone He'll care no more for you, you For every place that your thyme was waste Will all spread o'er with rue, rue Will all spread o'er with rue For woman is a branchy tree And man a clinging vine, vine And from her branches carelessly He takes what he can find, find He takes what he can find Come all you fair and tender girls That flourish in your prime, prime Beware, beware, keep your garden fair And let no man steal your thyme, thyme Let no man steal your thyme