A traditional ballad from 16th or 17th century England, whose tune may predate its most commonly-known set of lyrics. The lyrics begin with the following verse:

Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
For I have loved you well and long
Delighting in your company

In the quest by Team 4 of Series 7, Sylvester Hands encountered Marta while posing as a troubadour. He performed his own version of Greensleeves' opening verse:

Alas, my love, you done me up
And pushed me off me mother's knee
For I 'ave got a broken 'eart
All for the love of thee

This, it seems, makes Hands' version of Greensleeves the original Knightmare filk.

For an intriguing anecdote about a green sleeve and a dungeoneer, please see the Lexicon entry on Giles.

[Earlier version: 2007-12-21 18:17:31]

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