Dives and Lazarus

For Christmas

Words and Music: Traditional
See: Dives and Lazarus - Bramley and Stainer, With Notes and Sheet Music

Source: Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), #33, pp. 58-59.

1. As it fell out upon a day,
Rich Dives made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best;
Then Laz'rus laid him down and down,
And down at Dives' door;
Some meat, some drink, brother Dives,
Bestow upon the poor.

2. Thour't none of my brother, Lazarus
That lies begging at my door.
No meat nor drink will I give to thee
Nor bestow upon the poor.
Then Lazarus laid him down and down,
And down at Dives wall:
Some meat, some drink brother Dives
Bestow upon the poor.

3. Thour't none of my brother Lazarus
That lies begging at my gate.
No meat nor drink will I give thee,
For hunger starve thou shall,
Then Lazarus laid him down and down
And down at Dives gate:
Some meat, some drink brother Dives,
For Jesus Christ his sake.

4. Thour't none of my brother Lazarus
That lies begging at my wall.
No meat nor drink will I give thee
For Jesus Christ His sake.
Then Dives sent his hungry dogs
To bite him as he lay:
They had no power to bite at all,
But licked his sores away.

5. Then Dives sent out his merry men
To whip poor Lazarus away;
They had no power to strike a stroke,
But flung their whips away.
As it fell out upon a day
Poor Lazarus sickened and died
There came two Angels out of heaven
His soul therein to guide.

6. Rise up, rise up brother Lazarus
And come along with me;
There is a place in heaven for thee
All on an angel's knee.
As it fell out upon a day
Rich Dives sickened and died
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.

7. Rise up, rise up brother Dives,
And come along with me;
There is a place in hell for thee,
Upon a serpent's knee.
Then Dives looked up with his eyes
And saw poor Lazarus blest;
One drop of water Lazarus,
To quench my flaming thirst!

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), #33, pp. 58-59.

Notes:

This version has reformatted the carol from four-line stanzas into eight-line stanzas, plus made a number of word changes. Of the original 16 verses, the first 14 are included, but these two, the last two, are omitted:

15. Oh! had I as many years to abide
As there are blades of grass,
Then there would be an end: but now
Hell's pains will never pass.

16. Oh! were I but alive again,
For the space of one halt hour,
I would make my peace and so secure
That the Devil should have no power!

This carol was printed in the same format by Broadwood and Fuller Maitland in English Country Songs. They wrote that "The tune noted by A ]. Hipkins, Esq., F.S.A., in Westminster; the words from Notes and Queries, Ser. 4, vol. iii., 76." The lyrics they gave were different that the above. See: Dives and Lazarus - Broadwood and Maitland.

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), #33, pp. 58-59.

Sheet Music from Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland, English Country Songs. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1893), pp. 102-103.
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