Come, bring with a noise,
My merry, merry boys,
The Christmas log to the firing;
While my good dame, she
Bids ye all be free,
And drink to your hearts’ desiring.
With the last year’s brand
Light the new block, and
For good success in his spending
On your psaltries play,
That sweet luck may
Come while the log is a-teending.
Drink now the strong beer,
Cut the white loaf here;
The while the meat is a-shredding
For the rare mince-pie,
And the plums stand by
To fill the paste that’s a-kneading.
Credits
Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet, widely regarded as one of the finest writers of short verse in the Cavalier tradition. A country clergyman for much of his life, Herrick had a rare gift for celebrating the pleasures of everyday English life — harvests, flowers, and seasonal customs. "Ceremonies For Christmas" reflects his deep affection for folk ritual, drawing on the ancient tradition of the Yule log as a symbol of continuity and good fortune between the old year and the new.
