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O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling
For whom we sing
By by, lullay lullay?
Lullay lullu, thou little tiny child
By by, lullay lullay
Herod, the king
In his raging
Chargeth he doth this day
His men of might
In his own right,
All young children to slay
Lullay, thou little tiny child
La la, lullay lullay
That woe is me
Poor child for thee!
And ever morn and day,
For thy parting
Neither say nor sing
By by, lully lullay!
Lully lullay, thou little tiny child
By by, lullay lullay
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,Note: the stanza printed in italics is not sung by Loreena.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How in that Bethlehem was born
The son of God by name
"Fear not," then said the angel
"Let nothing you affright
This day is born a saviour
Of a pure virgin bright
To free all those who trust in him
From Satan's pow'rs and might"
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightaway
This blessed babe to find
But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
The holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
Good King Wenceslas looked outNote: the stanza printed in italics is not sung by Loreena.
"Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine-logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, rejoice
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
The meadows and far-sheeted streams
Lie still without a sound;
Like some soft minister of dreams
The snow-fall hoods me around;
In wood and water, earth and air
Silence is everywhere
Save when at lonely spells
Some farmer's sleigh, urged on,
With rustling runners and sharp bells
Swings by me and is gone;
Or from the empty waste I hear
A sound remote and clear
The barking of a dog
To cattle is sharply pealed,
Borne echoing from some wayside stall
Or barnyard far afield;
Then all is silent and the snow falls
Settling soft and slow
The evening deepens and the grey
Folds closer round the sky
The world seems shrouded, so far away.
Its noises sleep, and I as secret as
Yon buried stream plod dumbly on and dream.
I dream ... (8x)
The gardener was standing by
I asked him to choose for me
He chose for me the violet, the lily and the pink
But those I refused all three
But those I refused all three
The violet I did not like
Because it blooms so soon
The lily and the pink I really over-think
So I thought I would wait till June
So I thought I would wait till June
In June there was a red rose bud
That is the flower for me
And often times I've plucked that red rose bud
Till I gained the willow tree
Till I gained the willow tree
The willow tree will twist
The willow tree will twine
And often times I've wished I was in the young man's arms
Who once had the heart of mine
Who once had the heart of mine
I sowed the seeds of love
I sowed them in the spring
I gathered them up in the morning so soon
When the small birds so sweetly sing
When the small birds so sweetly sing
From: A winter garden, five songs for the
season (1995)
see the separate lyrics pages for the authors of the lyrics.
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Jos van Geffen --
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