We've been a while a-wandering amongst the leaves so green,
And now we come a-wesseling do fair to be seen.
Pray God send you, pray God send you,
Pray God send you a happy New Year!
We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door
But we are neighbours children whom you have seen before.
Pray God send you, pray God send you,
Pray God send you a happy New Year!
God bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too,
And all the little children that round the table go.
Pray God send you, pray God send you,
Pray God send you a happy New Year!
abc | midi | pdf
Source: Ian Russell, Hark! Hark! What News, Sheffield, 1996
Notes:
Village Carols is an ongoing project to preserve and promote local carol traditions, and to make them available in all forms - audio recordings, musical notation, historical context, etc. I am indebted to Ian Russell for his work in this area and for his permission to publish the notation given here. For details of current publications, see http://www.sgpublishing.co.uk/gm/vc/vcpubs.html
The lyrics of this song are very similar to many other wassails.
Transcribed by Ian Russell from the singing of Charles Green, 25 May 1971.
Roud: 209 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child:
Related Songs: The Wassail Bough [Here we come a-wassailing] (thematic)