The snows they melt the soonest when the winds begin to sing And the corn it ripens fastest when the frost is settling in And when a woman tells me that my face she'll soon forget Before we part I'll wage a croun she's fain to follow it yet The snows they melt the soonest when the winds begin to sing And the bee that flew when summer shone in winter cannot sting And I've seen a woman's anger melt betwixt the night and morn So it's surely not a harder thing to melt a woman's scorn The snows they melt the soonest when the winds begin to sing And the swallow flies without a thought as long as it is spring But when spring goes and winter blows, my love, then you'll be fain For all your pride to follow me across the raging main So don't you bid me farewell here, no farewell I'll receive For you will lie with me, my love, then kiss and take your leave And I'll wait here till the moorcock calls and the marten takes the wing For the snows they melt the soonest when the winds begin to sing