The Gloucestershire Wassail - Traditional

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef,
And a good piece of beef that may we all see;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye,
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,
And a good Christmas pie that may we all see;
With our wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

So here is to Broad May and to her broad horn,
May God send our master a good crop of corn,
And a good crop of corn that may we all see;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

And here is to Filipail and to her left ear,
Pray God send our master a happy New Year;
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see;
With our wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

So here is to Colly and to her long tail,
Pray God send our master he never may fail
A bowl of strong beer; I pray you draw near,
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.

Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best
Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest;
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small,
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all.

The Gloucestershire Wassail lyrics celebrate the ancient custom of wassailing where neighbors visited houses and orchards to toast to a good harvest. The song mentions specific farm animals like the ox and the cow wishing them well in the coming year. It is a vibrant example of the social and agricultural roots of the Christmas season in rural England. By singing The Gloucestershire Wassail lyrics participants keep alive a spirit of neighborly hospitality and communal hope for abundance which has characterized the twelve days of Christmas for centuries in the British countryside.