Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

William Shakespeare,  As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII.

Source: Francis Turner Palgrave, ed., The Golden Treasury. London: Collins, circa 1861, #42.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not.

Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Note.

This would seem to be an example of the pagan practice of wassailing of trees on Christmas Eve and at other times, as evidenced with "sing heigh ho! unto the green holly."

This poem was apparently set to a musical score at some point, but I have not discovered this carol in any collection containing musical scores (yet).

It was included in the collection edited by Joshua Sylvester under the title the "Holly Carol."  See Joshua Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern Including Some Never Before Given In Any Collection. Edited, With Notes. (London: John Camden Hotten, 1861), pp. 146-7. Sylvester noted: "We are indebted to Shakespeare's pen for this pleasing little piece." Sylvester's collection is text only.

This is what we see and hear in "As You Like It," Act II, Scene VII, In The Forest of Arden:

DUKE SENIOR
Welcome; fall to: I will not trouble you
As yet, to question you about your fortunes.
Give us some music; and, good cousin, sing.

AMIENS
Blow, blow, thou winter wind.
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not.
Heigh-ho! sing, & c.

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