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The Cherry-Tree Carol Lyrics by Francis James Child

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54A: The Cherry-Tree Carol


54A.1 JOSEPH was an old man,
and an old man was he,
When he wedded Mary,
in the land of Galilee.
54A.2 Joseph and Mary walked
through an orchard good,
Where was cherries and berries,
so red as any blood.
54A.3 Joseph and Mary walked
through an orchard green,
Where was berries and cherries,
as thick as might be seen.
54A.4 O then bespoke Mary,
so meek and so mild:
‘Pluck me one cherry, Joseph,
for I am with child.’
54A.5 O then bespoke Joseph,
with words most unkind:
‘Let him pluck thee a cherry
that brought thee with child.’
54A.6 O then bespoke the babe,
within his mother’s womb:
‘Bow down then the tallest tree,
for my mother to have some.’
54A.7 Then bowed down the highest tree
unto his mother’s hand;
Then she cried, See, Joseph,
I have cherries at command.
54A.8 O then bespake Joseph:
‘I have done Mary wrong;
But cheer up, my dearest,
and be not cast down.’
54A.9 Then Mary plucked a cherry,
as red as the blood,
Then Mary went home
with her heavy load.
54A.10 Then Mary took her babe,
and sat him on her knee,
Saying, My dear son, tell me
what this world will be.
54A.11 ‘O I shall be as dead, mother,
as the stones in the wall;
O the stones in the streets, mother,
shall mourn for me all.
54A.12 ‘Upon Easter-day, mother,
my uprising shall be;
O the sun and the moon, mother,
shall both rise with me.’

About “The Cherry-Tree Carol” by Francis James Child

Read the complete lyrics to "The Cherry-Tree Carol" by Francis James Child. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"The Cherry-Tree Carol" is performed by Francis James Child. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Cherry-Tree Carol", explore more songs by Francis James Child using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"The Cherry-Tree Carol" is credited to Francis James Child. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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Visit the Francis James Child artist page at /artist/francis-james-child for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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