As a Yule gift to readers of Poetry Witch Blog, here is my personal collection of pagan-friendly carols. Some are traditional and unchanged. Some are the very best neopagan adaptations I could find by others— signed or anonymous—sometimes as stand-alone songs, and sometimes as second verses of the originals. Some I have altered myself, keeping as many words of the original as possible, so they are familiar but can be sung with full gusto by those who want to encompass female as well as male-centered spirituality. Except for the virtuoso “13 days of Solstice,” which I couldn’t resist including, I have tried all these out on my ever-skeptical daughter and they have passed her muster—we’ll be singing them this afternoon with a group of friends and neighbors, and I may make a few adjustments after then as well. In the spirit of the collective folk tradition in which all these songs partake to one degree or another, I offer them to you here. You should be able to paste these into a document in this order, and they will make a little carolling booklet with 1 or 2 songs per 5″ x 8″ page. A copy shop can run it up for you. Happy Yule!
A WREATH OF CAROLS FOR YULETIDE
JINGLE BELLS
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh, O
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
Through the fields we go
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bob-tail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.
Jingle bells, jingle bells J
Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
JOY TO THE WORLD
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven
And nature sing.
Joy to the world! The Goddess is come.
Let earth receive her Queen.
Let every heart prepare her room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven
And nature sing.
DING-DONG, MERRILY ON HIGH
Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav’n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Hark, now here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “Io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
DECK THE HALLS
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
SILENT NIGHT
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon sacred mother and child
holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king!
Brothers, sisters, come and sing
Glory to the new-born king!
Gardens peaceful, forests wild
Celebrate the Winter Child!
Now the time of glowing starts!
Joyful hands and joyful hearts!
Cheer the Yule log as it burns!
For once again, the Sun returns!
Brothers, sisters, come and sing!
Glory to the new-born King!
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the new-born Sun
Through the wind and dark of night
Celebrate the coming light.
Sun’s glad rays through fear’s cold burns
Life through death the Wheels now turns
Gather round Yule log and tree
Celebrate Life’s mystery .
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the new-born Sun.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree. . .
Two Turtle Doves,
Three French Hens,
Four Calling Birds,
Five…Gol…den…Rings…..
Six Geese a-laying,
Seven Swans a-swimming,
Eight Maids a-milking,
Nine Drummers drumming,
Ten Pipers piping,
Eleven Ladies dancing,
Twelve Lords a-leaping . . .
(THE THIRTEEN DAYS OF SOLSTICE, words by Pashta Marymoon)
On the first day of Solstice the Goddess sent to me
the will to ‘harm ye none’. . .
God and Goddess blessings,
Three-fold law,
Four directions called,
Five-point pentagram ,
Six realms of being, [Tibetan book of the dead]
Seven glowing chakras ,
Eight holy sabbats,
Nine chanting muses,
Ten spheres of kabbala,
Eleven kin of the circle,
Twelve signs of the heavens,
Thirteen full moons shining . . .
O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL
O come all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, o come ye to Bethelehem
Come and behold them,
Lady, lord, and child,
O come let us adore them
Oh come let us adore them
Oh come let us adore them,
Lady, lord and child.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee!
Born again at Yuletide;
Yule fires and candles flames
Are lighted for You!
Come to thy children
Calling for thy blessing
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
Our Lord, the Sun!
O SOLSTICE NIGHT, words by Glaux ( tune: “O Holy Night”)
O solstice night,
the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the Sun God’s rebirth.
Long lay the world
in cold and darkness pining
till he was born and his light warmed the Earth.
O thrill of hope! The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Lift up your hearts! O hear the ancient voices!
O night divine!
O night the sun is born!
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!
THE WASSAIL CAROL
Here we come a wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wandering
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy New Year,
Goddess 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. Chorus
Call up the Butler of this house,
Put on his golden ring;
Let him bring us a glass of cheer,
And the better we shall sing. Chorus
God bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go. Chorus
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