The boris hede in hond I bryng
Words and Music: Traditional English
(From the Porkington MS. of the fifteenth century, communicated by Sir Frederick Madden to the Reliquiĉ Antiquĉ, vol. ii. p. 30. It appears to end imperfectly.)
Source: Thomas Wright, Specimens of old Christmas Carols, Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (London: The Percy Society, 1841)
Also found in William Sandys, Christmas-tide, Its History, Festivities and Carols, With Their Music (London: John Russell Smith, 1852). pp. 230-1.
This carol requires the installation of the "Junius Modern" font for best display.
See notes in F A Q
Compare: The Boar His Head In Hand I Bring;
The Boar's Head Carol and The Boar's Head
See generally: The Boar's Head Carols
Middle English
Hey, hey, hey, hey
The borrys hede is armyd gay.
The boris hede in hond I bryng,
With garlond gay in porttoryng,
I pray yow alle with me to synge,
with hay.
Lordys, kny³ttes, and skyers,
Persons, prystis, and wycars,
The boris hede ys the furt mes,
with hay.
The boris hede, as I yow say,
He takis his leyfe, and gothe his way,
Gone after the .xij. theyl ffyt day,
with hay.
Then commys in the secunde kowrs with mykylle pryde,
The crannus, the heyrrouns, the bytteris, by ther syde,
The pertrychys and the plowers, the wodcokus and the snyt,
with hay.
Larkys in hot schow, ladys for to pyk,
Good drynk thereto, lycyus and fyne,
Blwet of Allmayne, romnay and wyin,
with hay.
Gud bred alle and wyin dare I welle say,
The boris hede with musterd armyd soe gay;
Furmante to pottage, with wennissun fyne,
And the hombuls of the down, and all that ever commis in;
Cappons i-bake, with the pesys of the roow,
Reysons of corrons, with odyre spysis moo.
