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 your wassail too,
And God bless you, and send you
A happy New Year.
We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours’ children
That you have seen before.
Love and joy come to you
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you, and send you
A happy New Year.
Good Master and good Mistress,
As you sit by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who are wandering in the mire.
Love and joy come to you
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you, and send you
A happy New Year.
Bring us out a table
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese
And some of your Christmas loaf.
Love and joy come to you
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you, and 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.
Love and joy come to you
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you, and send you
A happy New Year.
Credits
Unknown writer is the attributed author of this traditional English carol, which dates back to at least the nineteenth century and is rooted in the ancient British custom of wassailing — a midwinter ritual of communal singing and well-wishing. The word "wassail" itself derives from the Old English toast wæs hæil, meaning "be in good health," and the song preserves that spirit of neighbourly blessing in every refrain.
