| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882). Complete Poetical Works. 1893. | | | | Translations | From the French.
A Christmas Carol |
| | From The Noei Bourguignon de Gui Barôzai |
|
I HEAR along our street | |
| Pass the minstrel throngs; | |
| Hark! they play so sweet, | |
| On their hautboys, Christmas songs! | |
| Let us by the fire | 5 |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire! | |
| |
| In December ring | |
| Every day the chimes; | |
| Loud the gleemen sing | 10 |
| In the streets their merry rhymes. | |
| Let us by the fire | |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire. | |
| |
| Shepherds at the grange, | 15 |
| Where the Babe was born, | |
| Sang, with many a change, | |
| Christmas carols until morn. | |
| Let us by the fire | |
| Ever higher | 20 |
| Sing them till the night expire! | |
| |
| These good people sang | |
| Songs devout and sweet; | |
| While the rafters rang, | |
| There they stood with freezing feet. | 25 |
| Let us by the fire | |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire. | |
| |
| Nuns in frigid cells | |
| At this holy tide, | 30 |
| For want of something else, | |
| Christmas songs at times have tried. | |
| Let us by the fire | |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire! | 35 |
| |
| Washerwomen old, | |
| To the sound they beat, | |
| Sing by rivers cold, | |
| With uncovered heads and feet. | |
| Let us by the fire | 40 |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire. | |
| |
| Who by the fireside stands | |
| Stamps his feet and sings; | |
| But he who blows his hands | 45 |
| Not so gay a carol brings. | |
| Let us by the fire | |
| Ever higher | |
| Sing them till the night expire! | | | |
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