| |
I
AS it fell out one May morning, | |
| And upon one bright holiday, | |
| Sweet Jesus asked of his dear mother, | |
| If he might go to play. | |
| |
II
‘To play, to play, sweet Jesus shall go, | 5 |
| And to play pray get you gone; | |
| And let me hear of no complaint | |
| At night when you come home.’ | |
| |
III
Sweet Jesus went down to yonder town, | |
| As far as the Holy Well, | 10 |
| And there did see as fine children | |
| As any tongue can tell. | |
| |
IV
He said, ‘God bless you every one, | |
| And your bodies Christ save and see: | |
| Little children, shall I play with you, | 15 |
| And you shall play with me?’ | |
| |
V
But they made answer to him, ‘No: | |
| They were lords and ladies all; | |
| And he was but a maiden’s child, | |
| Born in an ox’s stall.’ | 20 |
| |
VI
Sweet Jesus turnéd him around, | |
| And he neither laughed nor smiled, | |
| But the tears came trickling from his eyes | |
| To be but a maiden’s child. | |
| |
VII
Sweet Jesus turnéd him about, | 25 |
| To his mother’s dear home went he, | |
| And said, ‘I have been in yonder town, | |
| As far as you can see. | |
| |
VIII
‘I have been down in yonder town | |
| As far as the Holy Well, | 30 |
| There did I meet as fine children | |
| As any tongue can tell. | |
| |
IX
‘I bid God bless them every one, | |
| And their bodies Christ save and see: | |
| Little children, shall I play with you, | 35 |
| And you shall play with me? | |
| |
X
‘But they made answer to me, No: | |
| They were lords and ladies all; | |
| And I was but a maiden’s child, | |
| Born in an ox’s stall.’— | 40 |
| |
XI
‘Though you are but a maiden’s child, | |
| Born in an ox’s stall, | |
| Thou art the Christ, the King of heaven, | |
| And the Saviour of them all. | |
| |
XII
‘Sweet Jesus, go down to yonder town | 45 |
| As far as the Holy Well, | |
| And take away those sinful souls, | |
| And dip them deep in hell.’ | |
| |
XIII
‘Nay, nay,’ sweet Jesus said, | |
| ‘Nay, nay, that may not be; | 50 |
| For there are too many sinful souls | |
| Crying out for the help of me.’ | |
| |
