It was a cold night
And the snow lay low
I pulled my coat tight
Against the falling down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
I am a poor man
I haven't wealth nor fame
I have my two hands
And a house to my name
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what 
I'd foundIt was a white crane
It was a helpless thing
Upon a red stain
With an arrow, its wing
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what 
I'd foundMy crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
Now I helped her
And I dressed her wounds
And how I held her
Beneath the rising moon
And she stood to fly
And she stood to fly away
And she stood to fly
She stood to fly away
And all the stars crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what 
I'd foundMy crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife arrived at my door
In the moonlight
All star bright and tongue-tied
I took her in
We were married and bells rang sweet
For our wedding
And our bedding was ready
When we fell in
The sound of the keening bell
To see its pain erect
Soft as fontanel, the feathers and the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
We were poorly
Our fortunes fading hourly
And how she loved me
She could bring it back
But I was greedy, 
I was vain
And I forced her to weaving
On a cold loom, in a closed room
Down the hall
The sound of the keening bell
To see its pain erect
Soft as fontanel, the feathers and a thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
Rakes at my heart, heart
Heart, heart
Heart, heart
Heart, heart
Heart, heart
My crane wife