Carolling the May

The Flower Carol

Spring has now unfolded flowers
Sun is fast reviving
Life with all its growing powers
Towards the light is striving.
Gone the iron touch of cold
Winter time and frost time
Seedings working through the mould
Now push up to spring time.

Shoot and bud that winter long
slumbered in the earth bare
Now bestirring green and strong
Find in growth their pleasure
All the world with beauty fills
Gold with green advancing
Flowers make joy among the hills
Set the meadows dancing

Earth puts on her shining dress
Flowers and grasses hide her
We go forth in happiness
In companies beside her
For as we this greenness see
in the wakening season
so we learn the heart's decree
Hearts are led by feeling

Wandering onwards in a band
pairing as the birds do
Lad and lass go hand in hand
song is in each heart too
Love shoots up in glad glancings
Flowering this season
Praise the springtime for it brings
All to exaltation!

Piae Cantiones, 1582 - words: © norman iles

The May Day Garland

A branch of May I've brought this way
And at your door it stands
It is but a sprout but it's well budded out
It will bloom in all your lands

Awake, awake for that bough's sake
Awake and you shall see
How fair they make, both bush and brake
How fair is the tall May tree

The moon shone bright, the stars gave light
A little fore the day
The cock was right, the dawn in sight
he could crow the night away

The fields were green as has e'er been seen
When we went to the wood
We sought the limb that's ever been
The spring sign of our good

And for our comfort, for our sport
The May has sprung at once
Then let us court in that same sort
As the tree has done for us

The life of man is but a span
It bloosoms like a flower
Then let us plan while love we can
To welcome in this hour

This morning is of may the first
The youngest of the year
So all ladies, I wish you this
The best of joyful cheer

words: © norman iles

Tyrley, Tyrlow

About the fields lads piped last night
So merrily with all their might
From a window high they saw a light
Tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow

Of maids there came a company
With merry song and minstrelsy
The lads soon saw that sweet array
Turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out

The lads led them unto the green
To see the summer sun's first beam
And there began that glorious game

And then unto the merry green wood
To pluck the May bough where it stood
Each lad and lass with heart so good

And so they came into their bliss
Where we all joy shall never miss
That we may sing with them in this

I pray you all that do be here
To do the same and make good cheer
In honour of the May this year
Turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out
Tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow
Turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out, turn in, twirl out
Tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow, tyrley, tyrlow

words: © norman iles

sumer is icumen in

Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu
Groweth sed and bloweth med
And springth the wode nu
sing cuccu
Awe bleteth after lomb
Lhouth after calve cu
Buluc sterteth, bucke verteth
Murie sing cuccu
Cuccu, cuccu
Wel singes thu cuccu
Ne swik thu naver nu

John de Fornsete : early C13th

My Dancing Day

This day shall be my dancing day
I would my true love did so chance
To hear the story of my way
To call my true love to my dance
Sing O my love, O my love
my love, my love
This have I done for my true love

Oh, I was born a woman sure
My mother gave me her substance
Thus was I knit to our nature
To call my true love to my dance

Then afterwards when I was grown
The power of love on me did glance
My nature's voice heard from within
To call my true love to my dance

Into the city I was led
Where I did gather no sustenance
Bad men bade me give love for bread
To call my true love from my dance

Merchants for me they made long suit
And with me made great variance
because they'd picked my body's fruit
To call my true love from my dance

But for myself my love I held
his honour proudly to advance
Mark him I kiss, him have I called
The same is he shall lead my dance

Cambric Shirt

Man:

Can you make me a Cambric Shirt?
Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme
Without any seam or needlework
And you shall be a true lover of mine

Can you wash it it yon ferny well

Where ne'er sprung water nor rain ever fell

Can you dry it on yonder thorn

Which never bore blossem since adam was born

Woman:

Now that you've asked me questions three
Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme
I pray you'll answer as many for me
And I shall be a true lover of thine

Can you find me an acre of land

Between the salt water and the sea strand?

Can you pough it with a ram's horn

And sow it all over with one peppercorn?

Can you reap it with a sickle of leather

And bind it up with a peacock's feather?

When you have done and finished your work
Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme
Then I'll have made you your Cambric shirt
And I shall be a true lover of thine

Who killed cock robin?

Who killed cock Robin?

I, said the lark
When it was dark
I killed cock robin

All the birds of the air fell a sighin' and sobbin'
When they heard of the death of poor cock robin
When they heard of the death of poor cock robin

No, no you did not
He rose after that
Who killed cock robin

I, said the dove
With my coo of love
I killed cock robin

All the birds of the air &c

No, no you did not
He rose after that
Who killed cock robin?

I said the finch
With my pull and pinch
I killed cock robin

All the birds of the air &c

No, no you did not
He rose after that
Who killed cock robin?

I said the thrush
With my little bush
I killed cock robin

All the birds of the air &c

No, no you did not
He rose after that
Who killed cock robin?

Not I said the wren
I asked him in
I didn't kill him

Yes but you did
His red breast is hid
You killed cock robin

All the birds of the air &c

He is not slain!
He's risen again!

All the birds of the air Fell a singin' and songin'
when they heard of the rise Of proud cock robin
when they heard of the rise Of proud cock robin

The Dance of May

Dawn breaks on the first of May
Round, round the dance of May
A sacred rite gets underway
Round, fade away, Round, fade away

The ploughman wakes with eyes ablaze
Fires to burn and pole to raise

He blows the horn, recites the rhyme
Speaks the words of his father's time

Mother Earth now rise and wake
Shed your sleep, our gifts to take

Father sky now hear our prayer
Give up your power to the ploughman's care

Winds will rage and storms will break
Earth and sky will scream and shake

Lightning flash and thunder roar
Sacred charge runs to and fro

Earth and sky together lie
From your union draws a child

This day marks the first of spring
People dance and people sing

Dawn breaks on the first of May
The real meaning fades away

The King Shall Return

Tho' winter's grasp still clings to the earth
And winter winds blow strong
The solstice saw my lord's holy birth
Now spring it won't be long

Hail, Hail, the king shall return
My lord is on his way
Hail, Hail, we look to the spring
Today is a longer day

My lady tends her babe while we wait
Cloaked in a mantle of white
Tonight is the night we do celebrate
The feast of the waxing light

So come ye bards and dancers of old
Goods to the feast do bring
Let the ale flow, and tales to be told
We sing the return of the king

Some call it brigid, candlemass too
Flametide and making new fire
Come all are welcome who worship the two
Till daylight we shall not retire

Spring has come

Now the spring has come again
Joy and warmth will follow
Cold and wet are quite forgot
Northward flies the swallow
Over sea and land and air
spring's soft touch is everywhere
And the world looks cleaner
All our sinews feel new strung
Hearts are light that once were wrung
Youthful zests are keener

All the woods are new in leaf
All the fruit is budding
Bees are humming round the hive
Done with winter's brooding
Seas are calm and blue again
Clouds no more foretell the rain
Winds are soft and tender
High above, the kingly sun
Laughs once more his course to run
Shines in all his splendour

Piae Cantiones, 1582

Green Jack

Wind to north east, snow on the crags
Winter takes a long time to be gong
Lambs in the fold, safe from the cold
April's passed and May's coming in
Oh pray lend an ear this music to hear
Cold winds be gone, give Jack but a chance
Hey come along, Hey come along
Come along and join in the dance

O have you seen Jack in the green
Footing it so lightly on his toes?
Birds in the trees, blossom and leaves
Springing up wherever he goes
For he that is slain with the harvested grain
Is born anew and bids summer advance

Birdsong at morn, up with the dawn
Throwing off the years by two and three
Old Mrs. Jones, stretches her bones
Puts the whistling kettle on for tea
Then she sweeps up the dirt and she gathers her skirts
And away with green Jack she does prance

Morris men all, the squire and the fool
Cuts a merry caper, on the green
Come maids and young men, let the dancing begin
For the living earth, our fair queen
They're footing it still, make a ring round the hill
And light up the sky with your chants

Authorship tbc.

Hal-an Tow

What shall he have that kill'd the deer
His leather skin and horns to wear
The horn, the horn, the lusty horn
'Tis not a thing to laugh to scorn

Take no scorn to wear the horn
It was the crest 'ere you were born
Your father's father wore it
And your father wore it too

Robin Hood and little John
They've both gone to the Fair-O
And we shall to the merry green wood
to hunt the buck and hare-O

Hal an tow, Jolly rum below
We were up long before the day-O
To welcome in the summertime, to welcome in the May-O
Summer is a-comin' in and winter's gone away-O

What happenned to the spaniards
That made so great a boast so
They shall eat the feathered goose
We shall eat the roast-O

Hal-an-Tow &c

God bless aunt mary moses
With all our power and might -O
well send us peace in England
Send peace by day and night -O

Hal an Tow &c

Trad.

Sources:

Carolling the May