The Oxford Book of Ballads

Ballads, English -- Great Britain -- Texts

Now is Christëmas y-come,
    Father and Son together in one,
    Holy Ghost us be on
                  In fere-a[626];
          God send us a good New Year-a!

    II

    I would you sing, for and I might,
    Of a Child is fair in sight;
    His mother him bare this endris[627] night
                  So still-a,
          And as it was his will-a.

    III

    There came three Kings from Galilee
    Into Bethlehem, that fair citie,
    To seek to Him that e’er should be
                  By right-a
          Lord and king and knight-a.

    IV

    As they came forth with their off’ring,
    They met with Herod that moody king;
    He askèd them of their coming
                  This tide-a,
          And this to them he said-a.

    V

    ‘Of whence be ye, you Kingès three?’--
    ‘Of the East, as you may see,
    To seek to Him that should ever be
                  By right-a
          Lord and king and knight-a.’--

    VI

    ‘When you at this Child have been,
    Come you home this way again;
    Tell me the sight that you have seen;
                    I pray-a,
        Go you none other way-a.’

    VII

    They took their leave both old and ying[628]
    Then of Herod that moody king;
    They went forth with their offering
                    By light-a
        Of the star that shone so bright-a.

    VIII

    Till they came into the place
    Where Jesu and his mother was;
    Offer’d they up with great solace
                    In fere-a
        Gold, incense and myrrh-a.

    IX

    When they had their offering made
    As the Holy Ghost them bade,
    Then they were both merry and glad
                    And light-a;
        It was a good fair sight-a.

    X

    Anon, as on their way they went,
    The Father of heaven an angel sent
    To these three kings that made present
                    This tide-a,
        And this to them he said-a:--

    XI

    ‘My Lord hath warn’d you every one
    By Herod king you go not home,
    For an you do he will you slone[629]
                    And ’stroy-a,
        And hurt you wonderly-a.’

    XII

    So forth they went another way
    Through the might of God his lay[630],
    As the angel to them did say,
                    Full right-a;
        It was a good fair sight-a.

    XIII

    When they came home to their countrie,
    Glad and blithe they were all three
    Of the sight that they had see;
                    By dene-a[631]
        The company was clean-a.

    XIV

    Kneel we now here a-down;
    Pray we in good devotion
    To the King of great renown,
                    Of grace-a
        In heaven to have a place-a.

FOOTNOTES:

[626] In fere = in company.

[627] endris = last.

[628] ying = young.

[629] slone = slay.

[630] lay = law.

[631] By dene = at once, or all together.




_108. The Innocents_


    I

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

The Oxford Book of Ballads

Ballads, English -- Great Britain -- Texts

Now is Christëmas y-come,
    Father and Son together in one,
    Holy Ghost us be on
                  In fere-a[626];
          God send us a good New Year-a!

    II

    I would you sing, for and I might,
    Of a Child is fair in sight;
    His mother him bare this endris[627] night
                  So still-a,
          And as it was his will-a.

    III

    There came three Kings from Galilee
    Into Bethlehem, that fair citie,
    To seek to Him that e’er should be
                  By right-a
          Lord and king and knight-a.

    IV

    As they came forth with their off’ring,
    They met with Herod that moody king;
    He askèd them of their coming
                  This tide-a,
          And this to them he said-a.

    V

    ‘Of whence be ye, you Kingès three?’--
    ‘Of the East, as you may see,
    To seek to Him that should ever be
                  By right-a
          Lord and king and knight-a.’--

    VI

    ‘When you at this Child have been,
    Come you home this way again;
    Tell me the sight that you have seen;
                    I pray-a,
        Go you none other way-a.’

    VII

    They took their leave both old and ying[628]
    Then of Herod that moody king;
    They went forth with their offering
                    By light-a
        Of the star that shone so bright-a.

    VIII

    Till they came into the place
    Where Jesu and his mother was;
    Offer’d they up with great solace
                    In fere-a
        Gold, incense and myrrh-a.

    IX

    When they had their offering made
    As the Holy Ghost them bade,
    Then they were both merry and glad
                    And light-a;
        It was a good fair sight-a.

    X

    Anon, as on their way they went,
    The Father of heaven an angel sent
    To these three kings that made present
                    This tide-a,
        And this to them he said-a:--

    XI

    ‘My Lord hath warn’d you every one
    By Herod king you go not home,
    For an you do he will you slone[629]
                    And ’stroy-a,
        And hurt you wonderly-a.’

    XII

    So forth they went another way
    Through the might of God his lay[630],
    As the angel to them did say,
                    Full right-a;
        It was a good fair sight-a.

    XIII

    When they came home to their countrie,
    Glad and blithe they were all three
    Of the sight that they had see;
                    By dene-a[631]
        The company was clean-a.

    XIV

    Kneel we now here a-down;
    Pray we in good devotion
    To the King of great renown,
                    Of grace-a
        In heaven to have a place-a.

FOOTNOTES:

[626] In fere = in company.

[627] endris = last.

[628] ying = young.

[629] slone = slay.

[630] lay = law.

[631] By dene = at once, or all together.




_108. The Innocents_


    I

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Oxford Book of Ballads

The Oxford Book of Ballads

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