Digital Tradition Mirror

Gower Wassail

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Gower Wassail

A-wassail, a-wassail throughout of this town
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown
Our wassail is made of good ale and cake
Of nutmeg and ginger, the best we can bake

  Al dal di dal di dal
  Dal di dal di dal
  Dal di dal di dee
  Sing deero, sing daddy
  Sing too ral di do

Our wassail is made of the el'berry bough
Although my good neighbors I'll drink unto thou
Besides all on earth, we have apples to store
Pray let us come in for its cold by the door

We know by the moon that we are not too soon
And we know by the sky that we are not too high
We know by the star that we are not too far
And we know by the ground that we are within sound

Now master and mistress let your company forbear
To fill up are wassail with you cider and beer
We want none of your pale beer, nor none of your small
But a drop of your kilderkin, that's next to the wall

Now master and mistress if you are within
Pray send out your maid with her lily-white skin
For to open the door without more delay
For our time it is precious and we cannot stay

You've brought your wassail, which is very well known
But I can assure you we've as good of our own
As for your jolly wassail, we care not one pin
But its for your good company we'll let you come in

Here's a health to our Cooley and her croo'ed horn
May God send her Master a good crop of corn
Of barley and wheat and all sorts of grain
May God send her Mistress a long life to reign

Now Master and Mistress, know you will give
Unto our jolly wassail as long as you live
And if we do life to another new year
We'll call in again just to see who lives here

various wassails sung by Watersons, Jean Ritchie, John and Tony
Langstaff Revels
SOF

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!