As performed by Kescana and Pyba, St Clements Church Withiel December 1997.
Played as an instrumental on Cornish double Chanter Bagpipes (St Clements Church, Withiel 1995)
Cornish version published in Old Cornwall Journal ( 1974 Vol 8. no. 3, page 138). No information given about the author,
Based on the “Old Waites Carol” collected in Cornwall by William Sandys and published in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern , Ed William Sandys (London,Richard Beckley, 1833),p159
Sandys’ Lyrics:
| The moon shines bright,and the stars give a light,
A little before it was day, Our Lord, our God, he called on us, And bid us awake and pray.
A wake, awake, good people all, Awake and you shall hear, Our Lord, our God, died on the cross, For us whom he loved so dear.
O fair, 0 fair Jerusalem, When shall I come to thee ? When shall my sorrows have an end, Thy joy that I may see ?
The fields were green,as green could be, When from his glorious seat Our Lord, our God, he watered us, With his heavenly dew so sweet.
And for the saving,of our souls Christ died upon the cross; We ne’er shall do for Jesus Christ As he has done for us.
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The life of man is but a span,
And cut down in its flower, We are here to-day and to-morrow are gone, We are all dead in an hour.
O pray teach your children, man, The while that you are here; It will be better for your souls When your corpse lies on the bier.
To-day you may be alive, dear man, Worth many a thousand pound ; To-morrow may be dead, dear man, And your body be laid underground.
With one turf at your head, 0 man, And another at your feet, Thy good deeds and thy bad, 0 man, Will all together meet.
My song is done, I must be gone, I can stay no longer here. God bless you all, both great and small, And send you a happy new year!
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