The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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The Cherry-Tree Carol
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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||
The Cherry-Tree Carol
THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL—C
1
Joseph was an old man,an old man was he,
He married sweet Mary,
the Queen of Galilee.
2
As they went a walkingin the garden so gay,
Maid Mary spied cherries,
hanging over yon tree.
3
Mary said to Joseph,with her sweet lips so mild,
4
for to give to my child.’
4
O then replied Joseph,with words so unkind,
‘I will pluck no cherries
for to give to thy child.’
5
Mary said to cherry-tree,‘Bow down to my knee,
That I may pluck cherries,
by one, two, and three.’
6
The uppermost sprig thenbowed down to her knee:
‘Thus you may see, Joseph,
these cherries are for me.’
7
‘O eat your cherries, Mary,O eat your cherries now,
O eat your cherries, Mary,
that grow upon the bough.’
8
As Joseph was a walkinghe heard angels sing,
‘This night there shall be born
our heavenly king.
9
‘He neither shall be bornin house nor in hall,
Nor in the place of Paradise,
but in an ox-stall.
10
‘He shall not be clothedin purple nor pall,
But all in fair linen,
as wear babies all.
11
‘He shall not be rockedin silver nor gold,
But in a wooden cradle,
that rocks on the mould.
12
‘He neither shall be christenedin milk nor in wine,
But in pure spring-well water,
fresh sprung from Bethine.’
13
Mary took her baby,she dressed him so sweet;
She laid him in a manger,
all there for to sleep.
14
As she stood over himshe heard angels sing,
‘Oh bless our dear Saviour,
our heavenly king.’
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | ||