Waes Hael

After Christmas is cleared away

And shops are shorn of lurid displays,

Now, outside, on Old Twelfth Night,

There’s a stirring in the trees

As merry music leads us

Along the Old Ways

Into the orchard,

Flickering with torchlight,

And log fire burning bright.

With wreaths of evergreen leaves

A new king and queen are crowned

And the ‘loving cup’ is passed around

Filled with mulled cider, or lambswool beer,

Bringing both warmth and good cheer…

In the cold of winter

And the darkness of night

We wassail and carouse

To waken and arouse

The naked apples trees

And wish good health to them,

In root and branch, fruit and stem.

Then: pots and pans are clanged

And shotguns banged

Uncluttering the branches

Of lingering malingering elements,

Replacing them with shining lanterns

And pieces of dunked, drunken toast

For robin, the good-fellow, to make the most

As we raise our voices in joyful boasts:

‘Ere’s to thee, Old Apple Tree!

And so enjoining one another

To make merry in midwinter

And joining together both bark and skin

We hope, once more, the trees will bring,

In autumn after summer after spring,

As much as we give to them

In our wassailing

So that next year, we may all share

The abundant health and wealth of the orchard

Many an apple, many a pear

Waes Hael!! Drinc Hael!!