Well, I rechecked my transcription of the lyrics from Paddy and compared to those in the DT (I don't know why I didn't look it up in the DT earlier) and have just a few corrections, so I'll post the corrected version below.

I also transcribed Paddy's talking about the song that I have on his tape. Paddy still talks with a nice Irish accent (not too thick) and is a delightful story-teller. Here is his background on the song:

"One of the songs I often heard my mother sing was The Arbutus Tree. Now, in and around our home, there's rocks and boulders, trees and old buildings, and in fact almost anything that you could possibly think of. There's songs and stories and poems made about them, usually to pass on a thought or concept, or to explain how they came about. And the arbutus tree, in the States it's known as the madrona, but in Ireland and also here in Canada it's known as the arbutus. The arbutus sheds it's bark the whole year round, and of course there has to be a reason for it. And we used to have an arbutus tree on our farm in Kilkeen (sp?), County Kerry. And it has to grow on very, very rocky soil, usually on an outcrop, and the sea breeze has to blow through the branches to be able to make it work, or at least make it grow halfway decently. Anyway, this is the song that explains how it came to be." Paddy Graber, Vacouver, B.C. Canada.

THE ARBUTUS TREE
as sung by Paddy Graber (learned from his mother in Ireland)

Our King he has a daughter fair,
and Arbutus is her name
And he has gone a soldiering
to the court of the king of Spain
His harper sang of her gentle grace,
of her beauty and her fame
And the Spanish King's declared his love,
and begged she might share his name

Our Irish king has hurried back home,
with all speed he could command
And he has told his daughter fair that he has promised her hand
Her lovely eyes they filled with tears
and her cheeks blushed scarlet red
Oh father dear, I can't marry him,
in truth I'd rather be dead

Oh, you will do as I command,
I swear upon my sword
Go dress yourself in Bride's array,
I'll hear not another word
But father dear, I love a man,
Will of Winsboro is his name
And I'll not leave my own true love
for the hand of the King of Spain

I swear you were a virgin fair
and my Chiefs did all agree
I command you now, cast off your gown,
that we might examine thee
Oh father dear don't shame me so,
I would rather you see me dead
Before you'd let your noble Chiefs
search for my maidenhead

Cast off, cast off that berry brown gown
and stand upon that stone
For if ye be a virgin fair,
the truth it must be made known
Then she cast off her berry brown gown,
and the gown she let fall free
Yet ere its hem it touched the ground,
she changed into a tree

Her love became that gentle sea breeze,
through her branches he did play
And she has shed her soft brown bark
until this very day.

Malcolm, The tune Paddy used is similar, but slightly different, from the tune you posted. Certainly they are related. I'll transcribe Paddy's tune and post it later. I'm sure Paddy's song goes back a long time. Most of his songs, he tells me, are versions that were in his family, at least in the early 1900's if not earlier.

Cheers, S. in Seattle