In Praise of Christmas - Loreena McKennitt

All hayle to the days

That merite more praise

Then all the rest of the year;

And welcome the nights,

That double delights

As well for the poor as the peer:

Good fortune attend

Each merry man’s friend

That doth but the best that he may,

Forgetting old wrongs

With Carrols and Songs

To drive the cold winter away.

2. The Court all in state

Now opens her gate

And bids a free welcome to most;

The City likewise

Tho’somewhat precise

Doth willingly part with her cost;

And yet, by report

From City to Court

The Countrey gets the day:

More Liquor is spent,

And better content,

To drive the cold winter away.

3. Thus none will allow

Of solitude now,

But merrily greets the time,

To make it appeare

Of all the whole yeare

That this is accounted the Prime,

December is seene

Apparel’d in greene

And January, fresh as May,

Comes dancing along

With a cup or a Song

To drive the cold winter away.

4. This time of the yeare

Is spent in good cheare,

Kind neighbours together to meet

To sit by the fire,

With friendly desire

Each other in love to greet:

Old grudges forgot

Are put in a pot,

All sorrows aside they lay;

The old and the young

Doth carrol this Song,

To drive the cold winter away.

5. To maske and to mum

Kind neighbours will come

With Wassels of nut-browne Ale,

To drinke and carouse

To all in this house,

As merry as buck in the pale;

Where cake, bread and cheese,

Is brought for your fees

To make you the longer stay;

The fire to warme

Will do you no harme,

To drive the cold winter away.

6. When Christmas tide

Comes in like a Bride,

With Holly and Ivy clad,

Twelve dayes in the yeare

Much mirth and good cheare

In every household is had:

The Countrey guise

Is then to devise

Some gambols of Christmas play;

Whereas the yong men do

Best that they can to

Drive the cold winter away.

7. When white-bearded Frost

Hath threatened his worst,

And fallen from Branch and Bryer,

And time away cals

From husbandry hals,

And from the good countryman’s fire,

Together to go

To Plow and to sow,

To get us both food and array:

And thus with content

The time we have spent

To drive the cold winter away.