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i
I
JOSEPH was an old man, | |
| And an old man was he, | |
| When he wedded Mary | |
| In the land of Galilee. | |
| |
II
Joseph and Mary walk’d | 5 |
| Through an orchard good, | |
| Where was cherries and berries | |
| So red as any blood. | |
| |
III
Joseph and Mary walk’d | |
| Through an orchard green, | 10 |
| Where was berries and cherries | |
| As thick as might be seen. | |
| |
IV
O then bespoke Mary, | |
| So meek and so mild, | |
| ‘Pluck me one cherry, Joseph, | 15 |
| For I am with child.’ | |
| |
V
O then bespoke Joseph | |
| With words so unkind, | |
| ‘Let him pluck thee a cherry | |
| That brought thee with child.’ | 20 |
| |
VI
O then bespoke the babe | |
| Within his mother’s womb, | |
| ‘Bow down then the tallest tree | |
| For my mother to have some.’ | |
| |
VII
Then bow’d down the highest tree | 25 |
| Unto his mother’s hand: | |
| Then she cried, ‘See, Joseph, | |
| I have cherries at command!’ | |
| |
VIII
O then bespake Joseph— | |
| ‘I have done Mary wrong; | 30 |
| But cheer up, my dearest, | |
| And be not cast down. | |
| |
IX
‘O eat your cherries, Mary, | |
| O eat your cherries now; | |
| O eat your cherries, Mary, | 35 |
| That grow upon the bough.’ | |
| |
X
Then Mary pluck’d a cherry | |
| As red as the blood; | |
| Then Mary went home | |
| With her heavy load. | 40 |
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ii
XI
As Joseph was a-walking, | |
| He heard an angel sing: | |
| ‘This night shall be born | |
| Our heavenly King. | |
| |
XII
‘He neither shall be born | 45 |
| In housen nor in hall, | |
| Nor in the place of Paradise, | |
| But in an ox’s stall. | |
| |
XIII
‘He neither shall be clothéd | |
| In purple nor in pall, | 50 |
| But all in fair linen, | |
| As were babies all. | |
| |
XIV
‘He neither shall be rock’d | |
| In silver nor in gold, | |
| But in a wooden cradle | 55 |
| That rocks on the mould. | |
| |
XV
He neither shall be christen’d | |
| In white wine nor red, | |
| But with fair spring water | |
| With which we were christenéd. | 60 |
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iii
XVI
Then Mary took her young son | |
| And set him on her knee; | |
| ‘I pray thee now, dear child, | |
| Tell how this world shall be.’— | |
| |
XVII
‘O I shall be as dead, mother, | 65 |
| As the stones in the wall; | |
| O the stones in the street, mother, | |
| Shall mourn for me all. | |
| |
XVIII
‘And upon a Wednesday | |
| My vow I will make, | 70 |
| And upon Good Friday | |
| My death I will take. | |
| |
XIX
‘Upon Easter-day, mother, | |
| My uprising shall be; | |
| O the sun and the moon, mother, | 75 |
| Shall both rise with me!’ | |
| | | GLOSS: place] palace. pall] fine cloth. |
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