| Lyrics: | THE CHERRY TREE CAROL
When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
He
married Virgin Mary, the queen of Galilee,
He married Virgin Mary, the queen of
Galilee.
Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green,
There were berries and
cherries as thick as might be seen
There were berries and cherries as thick as might be
seen
And Mary spoke to Joseph, so meek and so mild,
"Joseph gather me some cherries,
for I am with child,
Joseph gather me some cherries, for I am with child."
And
Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he,
"Let the father of the baby gather cherries for
thee,
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee."
Then up spoke the baby
Jesus from in Mary's womb,
"Bend down the tallest tree that my mother might have
some,
Bend down the tallest tree that my mother might have some."
And bent down the
tallest branch, 'till it touched Mary's hand,
Cried she, "Oh look thou Joseph I have cherries
by command,"
Cried she, "Oh look thou Joseph I have cherries by
command."
----
Child #54
This is one of the most popular of English
religious folk
ballads. Its tale derives from the Pseudo-Matthew gospel, and in
medieval
times was frequently dramatized in folk plays and
mystery pageants including, among others,
those performed by the
Grey Friars in Coventry. Fuller versions of the ballad
sometimes
contain predictions of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection.
From "British
Ballads and Folk Songs from the Joan Baez
Songbook."
@religion @Xmas
filename[
CHERTREE
play.exe CHERTREE
DC
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