{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch054.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch054.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch054.htm","text":"54A.1 JOSEPH was an old man,\nand an old man was he,\nWhen he wedded Mary,\nin the land of Galilee.\n54A.2 Joseph and Mary walked\nthrough an orchard good,\nWhere was cherries and berries,\nso red as any blood.\n54A.3 Joseph and Mary walked\nthrough an orchard green,\nWhere was berries and cherries,\nas thick as might be seen.\n54A.4 O then bespoke Mary,\nso meek and so mild:\n\u2018Pluck me one cherry, Joseph,\nfor I am with child.\u2019\n54A.5 O then bespoke Joseph,\nwith words most unkind:\n\u2018Let him pluck thee a cherry\nthat brought thee with child.\u2019\n54A.6 O then bespoke the babe,\nwithin his mother\u2019s womb:\n\u2018Bow down then the tallest tree,\nfor my mother to have some.\u2019\n54A.7 Then bowed down the highest tree\nunto his mother\u2019s hand;\nThen she cried, See, Joseph,\nI have cherries at command.\n54A.8 O then bespake Joseph:\n\u2018I have done Mary wrong;\nBut cheer up, my dearest,\nand be not cast down.\u2019\n54A.9 Then Mary plucked a cherry,\nas red as the blood,\nThen Mary went home\nwith her heavy load.\n54A.10 Then Mary took her babe,\nand sat him on her knee,\nSaying, My dear son, tell me\nwhat this world will be.\n54A.11 \u2018O I shall be as dead, mother,\nas the stones in the wall;\nO the stones in the streets, mother,\nshall mourn for me all.\n54A.12 \u2018Upon Easter-day, mother,\nmy uprising shall be;\nO the sun and the moon, mother,\nshall both rise with me.\u2019\n54B: The Cherry-Tree Carol\n54B.1 JOSEPH was an old man,\nand an old man was he,\nAnd he married Mary,\nthe Queen of Galilee.\n54B.2 When Joseph was married,\nand Mary home had brought,\nMary proved with child,\nand Joseph knew it not.\n54B.3 Joseph and Mary walked\nthrough a garden gay,\nWhere the cherries they grew\nupon every tree.\n54B.4 O then bespoke Mary,\nwith words both meek and mild:\n\u2018O gather me cherries, Joseph,\nthey run so in my mind.\u2019\n54B.5 And then replied Joseph,\nwith words so unkind:\n\u2018Let him gather thee cherries\nthat got thee with child.\u2019\n54B.6 O then bespoke our Saviour,\nall in his mother\u2019s womb:\n\u2018Bow down, good cherry-tree,\nto my mother\u2019s hand.\u2019\n54B.7 The uppermost sprig\nbowed down to Mary\u2019s knee:\n\u2018Thus you may see, Joseph,\nthese cherries are for me.\u2019\n54B.8 \u2018O eat your cherries, Mary,\nO eat your cherries now;\nO eat your cherries, Mary,\nthat grow upon the bough.\u2019\n54B.9 As Joseph was a walking,\nhe heard an angel sing:\n\u2018This night shall be born\nour heavenly king.\n54B.10 \u2018He neither shall be born\nin housen nor in hall,\nNor in the place of Paradise,\nbut in an ox\u2019s stall.\n54B.11 \u2018He neither shall be clothed\nin purple nor in pall,\nBut all in fair linen,\nas were babies all.\n54B.12 \u2018He neither shall be rocked\nin silver nor in gold,\nBut in a wooden cradle,\nthat rocks on the mould.\n54B.13 \u2018He neither shall be christened\nin white wine nor red,\nBut with fair spring water,\nwith which we were christened.\u2019\n54B.14 Then Mary took her young son,\nand set him on her knee:\n\u2018I pray thee now, dear child,\ntell how this world shall be.\u2019\n54B.15 \u2018O I shall be as dead, mother,\nas the stones in the wall;\nO the stones in the street, mother,\nshall mourn for me all.\n54B.16 \u2018And upon a Wednesday\nmy vow I will make,\nAnd upon Good Friday\nmy death I will take.\n54B.17 \u2018Upon Easter-day, mother,\nmy rising shall be;\nO the sun and the moon\nshall uprise with me.\n54B.18 \u2019 The people shall rejoice,\nand the birds they shall sing,\nTo see the uprising\nof the heavenly king.\u2019\n54C: The Cherry-Tree Carol\n54C.1 JOSEPH was an old man,\nan old man was he,\nHe married sweet Mary,\nthe Queen of Galilee.\n54C.2 As they went a walking\nin the garden so gay,\nMaid Mary spied cherries,\nhanging over yon tree.\n54C.3 Mary said to Joseph,\nwith her sweet lips so mild,\n\u2018Pluck those cherries, Joseph,\nfor to give to my child.\u2019\n54C.4 O then replied Joseph,\nwith words so unkind,\n\u2018I will pluck no cherries\nfor to give to thy child.\u2019\n54C.5 Mary said to cherry-tree,\n\u2018Bow down to my knee,\nThat I may pluck cherries,\nby one, two, and three.\u2019\n54C.6 The uppermost sprig then\nbowed down to her knee:\n\u2018Thus you may see, Joseph,\nthese cherries are for me.\u2019\n54C.7 \u2018O eat your cherries, Mary,\nO eat your cherries now,\nO eat your cherries, Mary,\nthat grow upon the bough.\u2019\n54C.8 As Joseph was a walking\nhe heard angels sing,\n\u2018This night there shall be born\nour heavenly king.\n54C.9 \u2018He neither shall be born\nin house nor in hall,\nNor in the place of Paradise,\nbut in an ox-stall.\n54C.10 \u2018He shall not be clothed\nin purple nor pall,\nBut all in fair linen,\nas wear babies all.\n54C.11 \u2018He shall not be rocked\nin silver nor gold,\nBut in a wooden cradle,\nthat rocks on the mould.\n54C.12 \u2018He neither shall be christened\nin milk nor in wine,\nBut in pure spring-well water,\nfresh sprung from Bethine.\u2019\n54C.13 Mary took her baby,\nshe dressed him so sweet;\nShe laid him in a manger,\nall there for to sleep.\n54C.14 As she stood over him\nshe heard angels sing,\n\u2018Oh bless our dear Saviour,\nour heavenly king.\u2019\n54D: The Cherry-Tree Carol\n54D.1 O JOSEPH was an old man,\nand an old man was he,\nAnd he married Mary,\nfrom the land of Galilee.\n54D.2 Oft after he married her,\nhow warm he were abroad,\n. . . .\n. . . .\n54D.3 Then Mary and Joseph\nwalkd down to the gardens cool;\nThen Mary spied a cherry,\nas red as any blood.\n54D.4 \u2018Brother Joseph, pluck the cherry,\nfor I am with child:\u2019\n\u2018Let him pluck the cherry, Mary,\nas is father to the child.\u2019\n54D.5 Then our blessed Saviour spoke,\nfrom his mother\u2019s womb:\n\u2018Mary shall have cherries,\nand Joseph shall have none.\u2019\n54D.6 From the high bough the cherry-tree\nbowd down to Mary\u2019s knee;\nThen Mary pluckt the cherry,\nby one, two, and three.\n54D.7 They went a little further,\nand heard a great din:\n\u2018God bless our sweet Saviour,\nour heaven\u2019s love in.\u2019\n54D.8 Our Saviour was not rocked\nin silver or in gold,\nBut in a wooden cradle,\nlike other babes all.\n54D.9 Our Saviour was not christend\nin white wine or red,\nBut in some spring water,\nlike other babes all.","title":"The Child Ballads: 54. The Cherry-Tree Carol","type":"page"}