The Water Is Wide
Love's Perils and Promises in 'The Water Is Wide'
Lyrics
The water is wide, I can't cross o'er
The expanse of water is broad, and I am unable to cross it.
Nor do I have light wings to fly
I lack the ability to fly swiftly like a bird.
Build me a boat that can carry two
Create a boat that can accommodate two people.
And both shall row my love and I.
Both of us will row the boat together, symbolizing a joint effort in love.
A ship there is and she sails the sea
There is a ship sailing the sea.
She's loaded deep as deep can be
The ship is heavily loaded, suggesting a substantial burden.
But not so deep as the love I'm in
The depth of the love experienced is greater than the ship's depth.
And I know not how I sink or swim.
Uncertainty about the outcome of the love, whether it leads to sinking or swimming.
I leaned my back up against an oak
I relied on the support of an oak tree, thinking it was reliable.
Thinking he was a trusty tree
The tree appeared trustworthy at first.
But first he bended, and then he broke
The oak tree bent and eventually broke, symbolizing the betrayal of trust.
And thus did my false love to me.
This betrayal happened, causing pain and disappointment.
I put my hand into a bush
I reached into a bush to find the sweetest flower.
The sweetest flower there to find
While searching for beauty, I endured pain by pricking my finger.
I pricked my finger to the bone
I left the beautiful flower untouched due to the pain.
And left the sweetest flower alone.
The cost of obtaining beauty sometimes involves sacrifice.
Oh, love is handsome and love is fine
Love is attractive and pleasing.
It's like a gem when first it's new
Initially, love is like a precious gem, new and sparkling.
But love grows old and waxes cold
Over time, love ages and loses its warmth, becoming cold.
And fades away like the morning dew.
Love fades away, much like morning dew disappears with time.
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