Does anyone know the origins of this song.
I cannot find any sources pertaining to author or date.

The subject matter could be from the 18th century.


My interpretation of this song

This song is of unrequited love and tells of a man fantasising about courting a beautiful young woman he sees working out on the land. He wishes to ask her to marry him and come and live with him on the moors. And if she refused she would be free to go her own way.

But his dreams never eventuate and he is left tormented by his thoughts.
He never got to court the woman, and he is left with a sad conundrum, pondering what life would have been like if the courtship had have happened. He feels tormented and would rather have been better off in the grave than to have met her.