Deck The Hall With Holly

Deck The Hall With Holly

See: Deck The Hall
Deck the Hall With Boughs of Holly
Soon The Hoar Old Year Will Leave Us

Words: “Nos Galan” by John Ceiriog Hughes.

Music: Old Welsh Air
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML

Source: J. P. McCaskey, ed., Franklin Square Song Collection, No. 1. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881, p. 120.

1. Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
     Fa la la la la, la la la la,
'Tis the season to be jolly,
     Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,¹
Troll the ancient Christmas² carol,
     Fa la la la la, la la la la.

2. See the blazing yule before us,³
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la,
Strike the harp and join the chorus,
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure,
While I tell of Christmas treasure,
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

3. Fast away the old year passes,
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la,
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,⁵
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Sing we joyous all together,⁶
Heedless of the wind and weather,
     Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Notes:

^{1. Or: Fill the mead cup, drain the
barrel. Return
2. Or: Troll the ancient Yuletide carol. Return
3. Or: See the flowing bowl before us. Return
4. Or: While I tell of Yuletide
treasure, or of beauty's treasure, Return
5. Or: Hail the new year, lads and lasses, Return
6. Or: Sing we joyously together, or Laughing,
quaffing all together. Return

Sheet Music from J. P. McCaskey, ed., Franklin Square Song Collection,
No. 1. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881, p. 120.

See A Garritan
Community Christmas for an MP3:

Deck the Halls, Fabio Vicentini

Editor's Note:

The commas in the "Fa la la la ..." portions of the verses were added by me;
there's enough of them that I was losing count, and the addition of the
commas was my solution.

McCaskey published these same lyrics in his
1899 Popular Songs and Hymns (New York: Harper & Bros.), p. 300.

Because of the modern meaning of “gay,”
that word is frequently replaced, and sometimes the entire line is
substituted. This has occasionally occasioned considerable dispute, although
had the lyrics not been substituted, there would have likely been objections
by others. However, if there is one constancy that I have observed in
Christmas carols, it is that editors change lyrics. Relax and enjoy the
moment.

In this context, the word
"troll" in the line "Troll the ancient Christmas carol" means to sing loudly
or boldly.

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