1
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la la la la la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, fa la la la la la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us, fa la la…
Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la…
Follow me in merry measure, fa la la …
While I tell of Yuletide treasure, fa la la …
Fast away the old year passes, fa la la…
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, fa la la…
Sing we joyous all together, fa la la…
Heedless of the wind and weather, fa la la…
2
Hark! the herald Angels sing, Glory to the new born King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled:
Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald Angels sing, Glory to the new born King.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth:
Hark! the herald Angels sing, Glory to the new born King.
3
Sweet was the song the Virgin sang, When she to Bethlem Juda came
And was delivered of a son, that blessed Jesus hath to name:
"Lulla, lulla, lulla, lulla-by, Lulla, lulla, lulla, lulla-by."
"Sweet babe," sang she, "my son, And eke a saviour born,
Who hast vouchsafed from on high, To visit us that were forlorn:
Lalula, lalula, lalula-by."
"Sweet babe," sang she, And rocked him sweetly on her knee.
4
Ye shepherds! leave your flocks upon the mountains,
Your hearths and homes, and care of all your sheep,
And change your griefs for joy everlasting,
And haste ye to adore Your God, your God, who comes to take away your woe.
Then shall ye find a-lying in the manger,
An infant weak, in nakedness and cold.
Behold! and see His love beyond expressing in coming thus to you.
In Him, in Him, the Saviour of mankind appears.
Ye kings! behold the star, to you revealing the King of Kings, your vows and homage pay.
See there the star of righteousness arises o'er all the earth.
To Him, to Him, your golden myrrh and incense bring.
5
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav'n and nature sing, And heav'n and nature sing, And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing.
Joy to the world! The Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
He rules the world! With truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, and wonders of His love.
6
Down in yon forest there stands a hall:
The bells of Paradise I heard them ring:
It's covered all over with purple and pall:
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything.
In that hall there stands a bed:
It's covered all over with scarlet so red: …
At the bedside there lies a stone:
Which the sweet Virgin Mary knelt upon: …
Under that bed there runs a flood:
The one half runs water, the other runs blood: …
At the bed's foot there grows a thorne:
Which ever blows blossom since he was born: …
Over that bed the moon shines bright:
Denoting our Saviour was born this night: …
7
People, look East, the time is near of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth, and set the table.
People, look East, and sing today: Love, the Guest, is on His way.
Furrows, be glad, though earth is bare, one more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish, That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look East, and sing today: Love, the Rose, is on His way.
Birds, though ye long have ceased to build, guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen, He for fledging-time has chosen.
People, look East, and sing today: Love, the Bird, is on His way.
Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim, one more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather, bright as sun and moon together.
People, look East, and sing today: Love, the Star, is on His way.
Angels, announce to man and beast Him who cometh from the East.
Set every peak and valley humming with the Word, the Lord is coming.
People, look East, and sing today: Love, the Lord, is on His way.
8
Blessed be that maid Marie, born he was of her body.
Very God ere time began, born in time the Son of Man.
Eya! Ihesus hodie, Natus est de Virgine
Sweet and blissful was the song chanted of the Angel throng:
"Peace on earth," Alleluia and Excelsis Gloria.
Make we merry on this fest, In quo Christ Natus est;
On this Child I pray you call, to absolve and save us all.
9
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell.
Who is there that singeth so, nowell, nowell, nowell?
I am here, Sir Christèmas.
Welcome, my lord Sir Christèmas.
Welcome to ye all, both more and less,
Come near, Nowell.
Dieu vous garde, beaux sieurs, tidings I you bring:
A maid hath borne a child full young, the which causeth you for to sing, Nowell.
Christ is now born of a pure maid, in an ox-stall he is laid,
Wherefore sing we all at a brayde, Nowell.
Buvez bien par toute la compagnie,
Make good cheer and be right merry, and sing with us now joyfully, Nowell.
10
Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming, From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming, As men of old have sung.
It came, a flow'ret bright, Amid the cold of winter, When half-spent was the night.
Isaiah 'twas foretold it, The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it, The Virgin Mother kind.
To show God's love aright, She bore to men a Saviour, When half-spent was the night.
11
O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, Born, the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of Angels, Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above:
"Glory to God in the highest."
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory giv'n;
Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing.
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
12
On the First day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, a partridge in a pear tree.
On the Second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.
On the Third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, three French hens…
On the Fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, four calling birds…
On the Fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, five gold rings…
On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, six geese a-laying…
On the Seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, seven swans a-swimming…
On the Eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, eight maids a-milking…
On the Ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, nine ladies dancing…
On the Tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, ten lords a-leaping…
On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, eleven pipers piping…
On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, twelved rummers drumming…
13
Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wandering so fair to be seen:
Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you, And send you a happy new year.
Our wassail cup is made of the rosemary tree;
And so is your beer of the best barley: …
We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door;
But we are neighbors' children whom you've seen before: …
Call up the butler of this house, put on his golden ring;
Let him bring us a glass of beer and better we shall sing: …
We have got a little purse of stretching leather skin;
We want a little of your money to line it well within: …
Bring us out a tale and spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese, and some of your Christmas loaf: …
God bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too;
And all the little children that round the table go: …
Good Master and good Mistress, while you're sitting by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children who are wandering in the mire:..
14
All my heart this night rejoices,
As I hear, far and near, Sweetest angel voices.
"Christ is born," their choirs are singing,
Till the air, ev'rywhere, now with joy is ringing.
Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, doth entreat: "Flee from woe and danger!
Brethren, come! from all doth grieve you,
You are freed; All you need I will surely give you."
Come, then, let us hasten yonder!
Here let all, great and small, kneel in awe and wonder!
Love Him who with love is yearning!
Hail the star that from far bright with hope is burning!
Thee, dear Lord, with heed I'll cherish;
Live to Thee, and with me, dying, shall not perish;
But shall dwell with thee forever
Far and nigh, in the joy that can alter never.
15
Joseph dearest, Joseph mine, help me cradle the child divine;
God reward thee and all that's thine, in Paradise,
So prays the mother Mary.
He came among us at Christmas tide,
At Christmas tide, in Bethlehem;
Men shall bring him from far and wide,
Love's diadem: Jesus, Jesus, Lo, he comes, and loves, and saves, and frees us!
Gladly, dear one, lady mine, help I cradle this child of thine;
God's own light on us both shall shine, in Paradise,
As prays the mother Mary. …
Peace to all that have goodwill! God, who heaven and earth doth fill,
Comes to turn us away from ill, and lies so still
Within the crib of Mary. …
All shall come and bow the knee; Wise and happy their souls shall be,
Loving such a divinity, as all may see
In Jesus, Son of Mary. …
Now is born Emmanuel, prophesied once by Ezekiel,
Promised Mary by Gabriel - Ah, who can tell
Thy praises, Son of Mary! …
Thou my lazy heart hast stirred, Thou, the Father's eternal
Word, Greater than aught that ear hath heard,
Thou tiny bird of love, thou Son of Mary. …
Sweet and lovely little one, Thou princely, beautiful,
God's own Son, Without thee all of us were undone;
Our love is won by throe, O Son of Mary. …
Little man, and God indeed, Little and poor, thou art all we need;
We will follow where thou dost lead.
16
I saw three ships come sailing in, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
I saw three ships come sailing in, On Christmas day in the morning.
And what was in those ships all three, On Christmas Day …?
Our Saviour Christ and his lady, On Christmas Day ….
Pray, whither sailed those ships all three, On Christmas Day …?
O, they sailed into Bethlehem, On Christmas Day ….
And all the bells on earth shall ring, On Christmas Day ….
And all the angels in Heaven shall sing, On Christmas Day ….
And all the souls on earth shall sing, On Christmas Day ….
Then let us all rejoice amain On Christmas Day …!
17
How far is it to Bethlehem? Not very far?
Shall we find the stable-room, lit by a star?
Can we see the little Child, is He within?
If we lift the wooden latch, may we go in?
May we stroke the creatures there, ox, ass and sheep?
May we peep like them, and see Jesus asleep?
If we touch His tiny hand, will He awake?
Will He know we'd come so far, just for His sake?
Great kings leave precious gifts, and we have naught,
Little smiles and little tears are all we brought.
For all weary children Mary must weep;
Here, on His bed of straw, sleep, children, sleep.
God in His mother's arms, babes in the byre,
Sleep, as they sleep who find their heart's desire.
18
From out of a wood did a cuckoo fly,
Cuckoo, He came to a manger with joyful cry,
Cuckoo; He hopped, he curtsied, round he flew,
And loud his jubilation grew, Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.
A pigeon flew over to Galilee, Vrercroo,
He strutted, and cooed, and was full of glee,
Vrercroo, And showed with jewelled wings unfurled,
His joy that Christ was in the world, Vrercroo, Vrercroo, Vrercroo.
A dove settled down upon Nazareth, Tsucroo,
And tenderly chanted with all his breath,
Tsucroo: 'O you,' he cooed, 'so good and true,
My beauty do I give to you – Tsucroo, Tsucroo, Tsucroo'
19
The old year now away is fled, the new year it is entered;
Then let us now our sins down-tread, and joyfully all appear:
Let's merry be this day, and let us now both sport and play:
Hang grief, cast care away! God send you a happy New Year!
The name-day now of Christ we keep, who for our sins did often weep;
His hands and feet were wounded deep, and his blessed side with a spear;
His head they crowned with thorn, and at him they did laugh and scorn,
Who for our good was born: God send us a happy New Year!
And now with New Year's gifts each friend, unto each other they do send:
God grant we may all our lives amend, and that the truth may appear.
Now, like the snake, your skin cast off, of evil thoughts and sin,
And so the year begin: God send us a happy New Year!
20
I wish you a Merry Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas,
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings I bring, to you and your kin;
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Now bring us some figgy pudding, now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding, and bring some out here.
For we all like figgy pudding, we all like figgy pudding,
For we all like figgy pudding, so bring some out here.
And we won't go till we've got some, we won't go till we've got some,
And we won't go till we've got some, so bring some out here.