I’ve always assumed that the lyrics to “Scarborough Fair” were nonsense, but at a recent concert, my wife’s singing group performed some old English folk songs, and I was intrigued to read the following in the program:

Scarborough Fair tells the tale of a young man, jilted by his lover, who jokingly tells the listener to ask her to perform a series of impossible tasks, such as knitting him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks, he will take her back.

This makes even more sense when you read the complete lyrics to the song— Simon & Garfunkel omitted some of the verses, including:

If she tells me she can’t, I’ll reply
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Let me know that at least she will try
And then she’ll be a true love of mine
Love imposes impossible tasks
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Though not more than any heart asks
And I must know she’s a true love of mine

One more of life’s mysteries, cleared up at last.