From the Amorous Muse

"The use of flower & herb symbolism in balladry & love-song is a real refinement. A spade is still a spade, but it prises the earth gently. If thyme means virginity, rue means regret, rose means passion, willow means sorrow, etc., one only need list the bouquet in proper order to describe the full journey of a young girl from joyful innocence to unhappy knowledge. Just one more of the infinite ways of narrating cause & effect, of comparing before with after. Often known under the title "Seeds of Love', or 'Rue & Thyme', this form probably sprang up in the early 1700' & has been a favourite ever since".

(Source: from the singing of Enos Hartlan, South-east Passage, Nova Scotia.)

When I was In My Prime (Nova Scotia)

When I was in my prime I flourished like a vine,
There came along a false young man who stole away my thyme
Who stole away my thyme.

My thyme it is all gone, I cannot plant anew,
And in the place where sprung my thyme is all grown up in rue,
Is all grown up in rue.

The gardener standing by, three offers he made to me,
The pink, the violet and red rose, but I refused all three,
But I refused all three.

The pink is not for me, for it flowers much too soon,
And the violet is too deep a blue, I said I'd wait till June,
I said I'd wait till June.

In June the red rose blooms, but that's no flower for me
For I've plucked up my red, red rose, and planted a willow tree,
And planted a willow tree.

For the willow tree do twist, and the willow tree do twine
I wish I was in that young man's arms that's won this heart of mine,
That's won this heart of mine.

But if God gives me time and another year of grace,
I'll weep a barrel of crystal tears and wash that young man's face,
And wash that young man's face."

Now that I've finally set up my recorded (only took about 10 years)
I'll give this another listen. Can't remember it but from the thread I've grown Ruddy Red about it.
Barry