A Carol for Twelfth Day

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1. Mark well my heavy doleful taleFor Twelfth Day now is come,And now I must no longer stay,And say no word but mum.For I perforce must take my leaveOf all my dainty cheer—Plum porridge, roast beef, and minc’d pies,My strong ale and my beer.2. Kind hearted Christmas, now adieu,For I with thee must part;But oh! to take my leave of theeDoth grieve me at the heart.Thou wert an ancient housekeeper,And mirth with meat didst keep,But thou art going out of townWhich causes me to weep.3. Come, butler, fill a brimmer full,To cheer my fainting heart,That to old Christmas I may drinkBefore he does depart.And let each one that’s in the roomWith me likewise condole,And now to cheer their spirits sadLet each one drink a bowl.4. And when the same it hath gone round,Then fall unto your cheer;For you well know that Christmas timeIt comes but once a year.Thanks to my master and my dameThat do such cheer afford,God bless them, that each Christmas theyMay furnish so their board.

1. Mark well my heavy doleful tale

For Twelfth Day now is come,

And now I must no longer stay,

And say no word but mum.

For I perforce must take my leave

Of all my dainty cheer—

Plum porridge, roast beef, and minc’d pies,

My strong ale and my beer.

2. Kind hearted Christmas, now adieu,For I with thee must part;But oh! to take my leave of theeDoth grieve me at the heart.Thou wert an ancient housekeeper,And mirth with meat didst keep,But thou art going out of townWhich causes me to weep.

2. Kind hearted Christmas, now adieu,

For I with thee must part;

But oh! to take my leave of thee

Doth grieve me at the heart.

Thou wert an ancient housekeeper,

And mirth with meat didst keep,

But thou art going out of town

Which causes me to weep.

3. Come, butler, fill a brimmer full,To cheer my fainting heart,That to old Christmas I may drinkBefore he does depart.And let each one that’s in the roomWith me likewise condole,And now to cheer their spirits sadLet each one drink a bowl.

3. Come, butler, fill a brimmer full,

To cheer my fainting heart,

That to old Christmas I may drink

Before he does depart.

And let each one that’s in the room

With me likewise condole,

And now to cheer their spirits sad

Let each one drink a bowl.

4. And when the same it hath gone round,Then fall unto your cheer;For you well know that Christmas timeIt comes but once a year.Thanks to my master and my dameThat do such cheer afford,God bless them, that each Christmas theyMay furnish so their board.

4. And when the same it hath gone round,

Then fall unto your cheer;

For you well know that Christmas time

It comes but once a year.

Thanks to my master and my dame

That do such cheer afford,

God bless them, that each Christmas they

May furnish so their board.

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