Come all you worthy gentlemen,
That may be standing by,
Christ our Blessed Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!
Christ our Blessed Saviour
Now in the manger lay -
He's lying in the manger,
While the oxen feed on hay.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!
God bless the ruler of this house,
And long on may he reign,
Many happy Christmases
He live to see again!
God bless out generation,
Who live both far and near,
And we wish them a happy, a happy New Year.
abc | midi | pdf
Source: Cyril Winn, A Selection of some less known Folk-Songs, Vol 2, Novello.
Notes:
This example was noted by Cecil Sharp from Mr. Rapsey at Bridgwater, Somerset, 2nd January 1906. It was published in Sharp's Folk Songs from Somerset (no.5, Novello 1909) and English Folk Carols (Novello 1911), and appears as originally collected in Maud Karpeles, Cecil Sharp's Collection of English Folk Songs (OUP 1974) as No. 352, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen, example E.
As originally published (and quoted above) the text has undergone some alteration, though the music is essentially unchanged apart from the introduction of three additional "A"s in order to accommodate the lengthened final line. Mr. Rapsey actually sang:
Come all you worthy gentlemen that may be standing by.
Christ our blessed Saviour was born on Christmas Day.
The blessed Virgin Mary unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish her the tidings of joy.
The blessed Virgin Mary unto the Lord did say:
Christ our Blessed Saviour now in the manger lay.
He's laying in the manger with the oxen fed on hay
And we wish him tidings of joy.
God bless the ruler of this house and long on may he reign,
Many happy Christmasses may he live to see again.
God bless our generation who live both far and near
And we wish them a happy new year.
The Rapsey/Sharp version is in The Oxford Book of Carols (1928, No. 8) as "Somerset Carol", with this note: "Mr Rapsey was taught the carol by his mother, and as a child used to sing it with other children in the streets of Bridgwater at Christmas time." Also in The New Oxford Book of Carols (1992, No. 152) as "Come All You Worthy Gentlemen." Vaughan Williams adopted this carol in his Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
Roud: 394 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: