On their Make Way! album, the Kingston Trio say it was written by Nick Reynolds. They call it "The River Is Wide."

THE RIVER IS WIDE
Nick Reynolds

CHORUS: The river is wide. I cannot see.
Nor do I have light wings to fly.
Build me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row, my love and I.

My love is like the lofty tree.
It shudders fierce and then sways free.
If it should fade when the summer's through,
She'll bloom again when the spring shines through.

When love is young, then love is fine.
Just like a gem when first it's new.
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew. (Chorus)

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 16-Jul-02.