Here Have I Dwelt In Joyfulness

For Christmas

Words: Attributed to James Ryman, 15th Century from, Balliol College MS. 354. f. 244 v.
Compare: Now Have Good Day, Now Have Good Day! (Rickert)
Here Haue I Dwellyd With More & Lasse (Flügel)
I Am Christmas, with Notes

Music: Not Stated

Source: Jessie L. Weston, ed., Old English Carols from the Hill MS. [Balliol College MS. 354] Translated by Jessie L. Weston. (London: David Nutt, 1911), Carol # XXIV, pp. 43-44.

Now have Good-day, now have Good-day,
I am Christmas, and I must go my way !

1. Here have I dwelt in joyfulness,
From Hallowtide unto Candlemass,
And now from hence I needs must pass
Now have Good-day !

2. I take my leave of king and knight,
Of earl and baron, and lady bright,
For the wilderness I must me dight
Now have Good-day !

3. And from the lord of this same hall
I take my leave, from his good guests all,
Methinks that Lent I must hither call
Now have Good-day !

4. And of every worthy officer,
Of the marshall, the steward, and eke butler,
I take my leave for another year
Now have Good-day !

5. Another year I hope, withal,
We may make merry within this hall f
If rest and peace to England fall
Now have Good-day!

6. For oftentimes I have heard men say,
One who is loth to go his way
Right often doth he bid Good-day
Now have Good-day!

7. Now fare ye well all who be here,
Now fare ye well for all this year,
Yet for my sake keep ye good cheer
Now have Good-day, now have Good-day,
I am Christmas, and I must go my way !

Editor's Note:

Weston's apparent source was Ewald Flügel, ed., “Liedersammlungen des XVI Jahrhunderts, Besonders Aus Der Zeit Heinrichs VIII. III. 6. Die lieder des Balliol Ms. 354,” in Eugen Einenkel, ed., Anglia - Zeitschrift für englische Philologie enthaltend Beitrage zur Geschlicht der englischen Sprache und Literatur. Band XXVI. (Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1903), Here Haue I Dwellyd With More & Lasse, p. 245. This work is available at both Internet Archive and Google Books.

See also Roman Dyboski, ed. Songs, Carols and Other Miscellaneous Poems from the Balliol MS. 354, Richard Hill’s Commonplace Book. Early English Text Society Extra Series No. CI (London: Published for the Early English Text Society by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., 1907, issued in 1908), p. 18. Over 103 songs of great variety, including 62 "sacred songs and carols." Available at Internet Archive and Google Books.

Also found in Alfred William Pollard, ed., Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse. A Volume of Arber’s ‘English Garner’…. (Westminster and New York: Dutton, 1903), p. 58.

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