Wacky Anne's Christmas Music Room: Traditional Carols IV

To go straight to a particular traditional Christmas carol, click on the title above. Once you get to the lyrics, click on the song title to hear it played as well. Alternate and optional text is placed within (parenthesis). The refrain is in italics, sing it when you see Refrain.

The Wassail Song
Traditional English

This carol for the New Year was sung by "waits", troupes of men and boys who strolled among English villages during the holiday season performing carols and expecting gifts of refreshment or money.

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green
Here we come a wand'ring
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,
And God send you a happy New Year.

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbor's children
Whom you have seen before.

Refrain

Our wassail cup is made
Of the rosemary tree,
And so is your beer
Of the best barley.

Refrain

Bring us out a table,
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese
And some of your Christmas loaf.

Refrain

God bless the master of this house,
Likewise the mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.

Refrain

We Three Kings of Orient Are
J. Hopkins

Midi length: 114s (1:54)

American Rev. John Henry Hopkins (1820-1891), rector of Christ's Church, Williamport, Pennsylvania, wrote and composed this carol in 1857.

All:
We three Kings of Orient are; 
Bearing gifts we (treasure/traverse) afar, 
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, 
Following yonder star. 

O star of wonder, star of night, 
Star with royal beauty bright 
Westward leading, still proceeding 
Guide us to thy Perfect Light.

Melchior:
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, 
Gold I bring, to crown Him again 
King forever, ceasing never, 
Over (us) all to reign.

Refrain

Caspar:
Frankincense to offer have I,
Incense owns a Deity nigh,
Prayer and praising, all men raising, 
Worship Him, God (most/on) high. 

Refrain

Balthazar:
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume 
Breathes a life of gathering gloom,
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, 
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. 

Refrain

All:
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Earth to (Heaven/the heav'ns) replies.

Refrain

Wexford Carol

"The Wexford Carol" is apparently Irish.

Good people all, this Christmas-time, 
Consider well and bear in mind 
What our good God for us has done 
In sending his beloved Son. 
With Mary holy we should pray 
To God with love this Christmas day; 
In Bethlehem upon that morn 
There was a blessed Messiah born. 

The night before that happy tide 
The noble Virgin and her guide 
Were long time seeking up and down 
To find a lodging in the town. 
But mark how all things came to pass; 
From every door repelled alas! 
As long foretold, their refuge all 
Was but an humble ox's stall. 

There were three wise men from afar 
Directed by a glorious star, 
And on they wandered night and day 
Until they came where Jesus lay, 
And when they came unto that place 
Where our beloved Messiah was, 
They humbly cast them at his feet, 
With gifts of gold and incense sweet. 

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep 
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep; 
To whom God's angels did appear, 
Which put the shepherds in great fear. 
'Prepare and go.' the angels said. 
'To Bethlehem, be not afraid; 
For there you'll find, this happy morn, 
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.' 

With thankful heart and joyful mind, 
The shepherds went the babe to find, 
And as God's angel had foretold, 
They did our saviour Christ behold. 
Within a manger he was laid, 
And by his side the virgin maid, 
Attending on the Lord of life, 
Who came on earth to end all strife.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Traditional

We wish you a merry Christmas 
We wish you a merry Christmas 
We wish you a merry Christmas 
And a happy New Year
Glad tidings we bring 
To you and your kin; 
Glad tidings for Christmas 
And a happy New Year! 

We want some figgy pudding 
We want some figgy pudding 
We want some figgy pudding 
Please bring it right here! 
Glad tidings we bring 
To you and your kin; 
Glad tidings for Christmas 
And a happy New Year! 

We won't go until we get some 
We won't go until we get some 
We won't go until we get some 
So bring it out here! 
Glad tidings we bring 
To you and your kin; 
Glad tidings for Christmas 
And a happy New Year! 

We wish you a Merry Christmas 
We wish you a Merry Christmas 
We wish you a Merry Christmas 
And a happy New Year
Glad tidings we bring 
To you and your kin; 
Glad tidings for Christmas 
And a happy New Year!

What Child is This
Traditional English, W. Dix

Midi length: 110s (1:50)

The lyrics to this carol were written by William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898), a British hymn writer and businessman. They were added to a centuries old English folk tune, Greensleeves, which was first mentioned in 1580 as a "new northern dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It was later used as a political ballad, and even made an appearance (by reference only) in William Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. In 1642 it was first used in a Christmas carol, "The Old Year Now Away Has Fled".

What child is this, Who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King;
Whom shepherds (guard/watch), and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you:
Hail, hail, the word made flesh, 
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings:
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night

This carol, as does Joy to the World, has music from a piece by G.F. Handel, his opera Siroe, King of Persia. Included among the "Shepherd Carols" in which average men (as shepherds) have a part to play in the greatest story ever told. The lyrics to this carol are by Rev. Nahum Tate, who was inspired by eight verses from the second chapter of Luke, beginning "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." He was born in 1652 in Ireland, son of a clergyman. He became England's poet-laureate after writing many plays and also the royally-sanctioned "New Version of the Psalms of David", which is to this day the Authorized Version used by the Church of England in its prayer book. This particular hymn was included in a supplement of his Psalm collection, first published in 1703.

While shepherds watch their flocks by night 
All seated on the ground, 
The angel of the Lord came down 
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around. 
 
"Fear not," said He; for mighty dread 
Had seized their troubled mind. 
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring 
To you and all man-kind,
To you and all man-kind."

"To you in David's town this day 
Is born of David's line 
The Savior who is Christ, the Lord,
And this shall me the sign, 
And this shall me the sign."
 
"The heav'nly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid,
And in a manger laid."

Those spoke the Seraph and forthwith 
Appeared a shining throng 
Of angels praising God, who thus 
Addressed their joyful song,
Addressed their joyful song.
 
"All glory be to God on high,
And on the earth be peace, 
Goodwill hence-forth from heav'n to men,
Begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease."

My Christmas Music Room: Christmas Carols

Traditional, Continued Three