QUOTH the Fir-tree, 'Orange and vine' @3Sing Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!@1 'Have their honour: I have mine!' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 'I am kin to the great king's house,' @3Ring Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!@1 'And Lebanon whispers in my boughs.' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 Apple and cherry, pear and plum, @3Winds of Autumn, sigh Nowell!@1 All the trees like mages come @3Bending low with 'Gloria!'@1 Holding out on every hand @3Summer pilgrims to Nowell!@1 Gorgeous gifts from Elfin-land. @3And the May saith 'Gloria!'@1 Out of the darkness—who shall say @3Gold and myrrh for this Nowell:@1 How they win their wizard way? @3Out of the East with 'Gloria'!@1 Men that eat of the sun and dew @3Angels laugh and sing, 'Nowell.'@1 Call it 'fruit,' and say it 'grew'! @3Into the West with 'Gloria'!@1 'Leaves that fall,' whispered the fir @3Through the forest sing Nowell!@1 'I am winter's minister,' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 Summer friends may come and go, @3Up the mountain sing 'Nowell.'@1 Love abides thro' storm and snow, @3Down the valley, 'Gloria'!@1 'Lay the axe at my young stem now!' @3Woodman, woodman, sing 'Nowell.'@1 'Set a star on every bough!' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 'Hall and cot shall see me stand,' @3Rich and poor man, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'Giver of gifts from Elfin-land.' @3Oberon, answer 'Gloria.'@1 'On my boughs, on mine, on mine,' @3Father and mother, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'All the fruits of the earth shall twine.' @3Bending low with 'Gloria.'@1 'Sword of wood and doll of wax' @3Little children, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'Swing on the stem was cleft with the axe!' @3Craftsmen all, a 'Gloria.'@1 'Hear! I have looked on the other side,' @3Out of the East, O sing 'Nowell'!@1 'Because to live this night I died!' @3Into the West with 'Gloria.'@1 'Hear! In this lighted room I have found' @3Ye that seek, O sing 'Nowell'!@1 'The spell that worketh underground.' @3Ye that doubt a 'Gloria.'@1 'I have found it, even I,' @3Ye that are lowly, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'The secret of this alchemy!' @3Ye that are poor, a 'Gloria.'@1 'Look, your tinsel turneth to gold,' @3Sing Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!@1 'Your dust to a hand for love to hold!' @3In Excelsis Gloria.@1 'Hung by the hilt on your Christmas-tree' @3Little children, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'Your wooden sword is a cross for me.' @3Emperors, a 'Gloria.'@1 'I have found that fabulous stone' @3Ocean-worthies, cry 'Nowell'!@1 'Which turneth all things into one.' @3Wise men all, a 'Gloria.'@1 'It is not ruby nor anything' @3Jeweller, jeweller, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'Fit for the crown of an earthly king:' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 'It is not here! It is not there!' @3Traveller, rest and cry 'Nowell'!@1 'It is one thing and everywhere!' @3Heaven and Earth sing 'Gloria.'@1 'It is the earth, the moon, the sun,' @3Mote in the sunbeam, sing 'Nowell'!@1 'And all the stars that march as one,' @3In Excelsis Gloria!@1 'Here, by the touch of it, I can see' @3Sing, O Life, a sweet Nowell!@1 'The world's King die on a Christmas-tree.' @3Answer, Death, with 'Gloria.'@1 'Here, not set in a realm apart,' @3East and West are one 'Nowell'!@1 'Holy Land is in your heart!' @3North and South one 'Gloria'!@1 'Death is a birth, birth is a death,' @3Love is all, O sing Nowell!@1 'And London one with Nazareth.' @3And all the World a 'Gloria.'@1 'And angels over your heart's roof sing' @3Birds of God, O pour Nowell!@1 'That a poor man's son is the Son of a King!' @3Out of your heart this 'Gloria'!@1 'Round the world you'll not away' @3In your own soul, they sing Nowell!@1 'From Holy Land this Christmas Day!' @3In your own soul, this 'Gloria.'@1 |