Volume 2 — 54 THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL
Reading edition
A. a. 'Joseph was an old man,' Sandys, Christmas Carols, p. 123. b. Sandys, Christmastide, p. 241.
B. a. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Husk, Songs of the Nativity, p. 59. b. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 90. c. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, p. 45. d. 'The Cherry-Tree,' Birmingham chap-book, of about 1843, in B. Harris Cowper's Apocryphal Gospels, p. xxxviii.
C. 'The Cherry-Tree Carol,' Bramley and Stainer, Christmas Carols, p. 60.
D. Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, XII, 461.
The proper story of this highly popular carol is derived from the Pseudo-Matthew's gospel, chapter xx; Tischendorf, Evangelia Apocrypha, p. 82; Thilo, Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti, Historia de Nativitate Mariæ et de Infantia Salvatoris, p. 395. What succeeds, after A 9, B 8, C 7, D 6, is probably founded on the angel's words to the shepherds in Luke ii, and on Jesus's predictions in the authentic gospels. This latter portion is sometimes printed as an independent carol, under the title of 'Joseph and the Angel.'[1]
On the third day of the flight into Egypt, Mary, feeling the heat to be oppressive, tells Joseph that she will rest for a while under a palm-tree. Joseph helps her to light from her beast, and Mary, looking up from under the tree, and seeing it full of fruit, asks for some. Joseph somewhat testily expresses his surprise that she should think of such a thing, considering the height of the tree: he is much more concerned to get a supply of water. Then Jesus, sitting on his mother's lap, bids the palm to bow down and refresh his mother with its fruit. The palm instantly bends its top to Mary's feet.
The truly popular carol would be sure to adapt the fruit to its own soil. In English the tree is always a cherry. We have the story also in the fifteenth of the Coventry Mysteries, ed. Halliwell, p. 146 (not omitting Joseph's quip in A 5, etc.), with the addition of a little more miracle: for it is not the season for cherries, and Mary's wish is anticipated by the tree's blooming before she has uttered it. In Catalan and Provençal the tree is an apple. On the way from Bethlehem to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph come upon a gardener who is climbing an apple-tree, and Mary asks for an apple. He politely gives her leave to pluck for herself. Joseph, who this time has not been disobliging, tries, but the branches go up; Mary tries, and the branches come to her:[2] Milá, Romancerillo, p. 3, No 4. Also p. 63, No 55, where again Joseph is molt felló, very crusty; further, Briz, III, 228; Arbaud, Chants populaires de la Provence, 'Lou premier Miracle,' I, 23, and 'La Fuito en Egypto,' II, 237 f. In other legendary ballads, not so entirely popular, the palm-tree is preserved: Meinert, p. 262; Böhme, p. 628, No 523=Weinhold, Weihnachtspiele, p. 385; Lexer, Kärntisches Wörterbuch, p. 310; Feifalik, Die Kindheit Jesu, pp 101, 106=Pailler, Weihnachtlieder aus Oberösterreich, No 314, p 338 f; Pailler, p. 332, No 310; Hoffmann, Horæ Belgicæ, Part Ten, p. 59; Alberdingk Thijm, I, 212. In Schmitz, Sitten und Sagen des Eifler Volkes, I, 116, and Pailler, as above, No 311, we have a fig-tree. Some of these are very imperfect, or have even lost chief points in the story.
There are many narratives of the childhood of Jesus, based on the apocryphal gospels, in which this legend must needs be found: as, Cursor Mundi, ed. Morris, II, 668 f, v. 11,657 ff; Horstmann, Altenglische Legenden, 1875, p. 6, 1878, pp 102, 112; Stephens, Fornsvenskt Legendarium, p. 71; Pitré, Canti popolari siciliani, II, 333.[3]
A
a. Sandys, Christmas Carols, p. 123, West of England. b. Sandys, Christmastide, p. 241.
1 Joseph was an old man, and an old man was he, When he wedded Mary, in the land of Galilee. 2 Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard good, Where was cherries and berries, so red as any blood. 3 Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green, Where was berries and cherries, as thick as might be seen. 4 O then bespoke Mary, so meek and so mild: 'Pluck me one cherry, Joseph, for I am with child.' 5 O then bespoke Joseph, with words most unkind: 'Let him pluck thee a cherry that brought thee with child.' 6 O then bespoke the babe, within his mother's womb: 'Bow down then the tallest tree, for my mother to have some.' 7 Then bowed down the highest tree unto his mother's hand; Then she cried, See, Joseph, I have cherries at command. 8 O then bespake Joseph: 'I have done Mary wrong; But cheer up, my dearest, and be not cast down.' 9 Then Mary plucked a cherry, as red as the blood, Then Mary went home with her heavy load. 10 Then Mary took her babe, and sat him on her knee, Saying, My dear son, tell me what this world will be. 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. 12 'Upon Easter-day, mother, my uprising shall be; O the sun and the moon, mother, shall both rise with me.'
B
a. Husk, Songs of the Nativity, p. 59, from a Worcester broadside of the last century. b. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 90, from various copies, c. Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, p. 45. d. Birmingham chap-book, of about 1843, in B. Harris Cowper's Apocryphal Gospels, p. xxxviii.
1 Joseph was an old man, and an old man was he, And he married Mary, the Queen of Galilee. 2 When Joseph was married, and Mary home had brought, Mary proved with child, and Joseph knew it not. 3 Joseph and Mary walked through a garden gay, Where the cherries they grew upon every tree. 4 O then bespoke Mary, with words both meek and mild: 'O gather me cherries, Joseph, they run so in my mind.' 5 And then replied Joseph, with words so unkind: 'Let him gather thee cherries that got thee with child.' 6 O then bespoke our Saviour, all in his mother's womb: 'Bow down, good cherry-tree, to my mother's hand.' 7 The uppermost sprig bowed down to Mary's knee: 'Thus you may see, Joseph, these cherries are for me.' 8 'O eat your cherries, Mary, O eat your cherries now; O eat your cherries, Mary, that grow upon the bough.' 9 As Joseph was a walking, he heard an angel sing: 'This night shall be born our heavenly king. 10 'He neither shall be born in housen nor in hall, Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an ox's stall. 11 'He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall, But all in fair linen, as were babies all. 12 'He neither shall be rocked in silver nor in gold, But in a wooden cradle, that rocks on the mould. 13 'He neither shall be christened in white wine nor red, But with fair spring water, with which we were christened.' 14 Then Mary took her young son, and set him on her knee: 'I pray thee now, dear child, tell how this world shall be.' 15 'O I shall be as dead, mother, as the stones in the wall; O the stones in the street, mother, shall mourn for me all. 16 'And upon a Wednesday my vow I will make, And upon Good Friday my death I will take. 17 'Upon Easter-day, mother, my rising shall be; O the sun and the moon shall uprise with me. 18 'The people shall rejoice, and the birds they shall sing, To see the uprising of the heavenly king.'
C
Bramley and Stainer, Christmas Carols, p. 60.
1 Joseph was an old man, an old man was he, He married sweet Mary, the Queen of Galilee. 2 As they went a walking in the garden so gay, Maid Mary spied cherries, hanging over yon tree. 3 Mary said to Joseph, with her sweet lips so mild, 'Pluck those cherries, Joseph, for to give to my child.' 4 O then replied Joseph, with words so unkind, 'I will pluck no cherries for to give to thy child.' 5 Mary said to cherry-tree, 'Bow down to my knee, That I may pluck cherries, by one, two, and three.' 6 The uppermost sprig then bowed down to her knee: 'Thus you may see, Joseph, these cherries are for me.' 7 'O eat your cherries, Mary, O eat your cherries now, O eat your cherries, Mary, that grow upon the bough.' 8 As Joseph was a walking he heard angels sing, 'This night there shall be born our heavenly king. 9 'He neither shall be born in house nor in hall, Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an ox-stall. 10 'He shall not be clothed in purple nor pall, But all in fair linen, as wear babies all. 11 'He shall not be rocked in silver nor gold, But in a wooden cradle, that rocks on the mould. 12 'He neither shall be christened in milk nor in wine, But in pure spring-well water, fresh sprung from Bethine.' 13 Mary took her baby, she dressed him so sweet; She laid him in a manger, all there for to sleep. 14 As she stood over him she heard angels sing, 'Oh bless our dear Saviour, our heavenly king.'
D
Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, XII, 461; taken from the mouth of a wandering gypsy girl in Berkshire.
1 O Joseph was an old man, and an old man was he, And he married Mary, from the land of Galilee. 2 Oft after he married her, how warm he were abroad, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Then Mary and Joseph walkd down to the gardens cool; Then Mary spied a cherry, as red as any blood. 4 'Brother Joseph, pluck the cherry, for I am with child:' 'Let him pluck the cherry, Mary, as is father to the child.' 5 Then our blessed Saviour spoke, from his mother's womb: 'Mary shall have cherries, and Joseph shall have none.' 6 From the high bough the cherry-tree bowd down to Mary's knee; Then Mary pluckt the cherry, by one, two, and three. 7 They went a little further, and heard a great din: 'God bless our sweet Saviour, our heaven's love in.' 8 Our Saviour was not rocked in silver or in gold, But in a wooden cradle, like other babes all. 9 Our Saviour was not christend in white wine or red, But in some spring water, like other babes all.
A. b.
2. When Joseph and Mary walked in the garden good, There was cherries and berries, as red as the blood.
3 is wanting.
43. some cherries.
52. so unkind.
53. the cherries.
61,2. bespoke Jesus in.
64. that my mother may.
71,2. tallest tree, it bent to Mary's.
After 8:
Then Joseph and Mary did to Bethlehem go, And with travels were weary, walking to and fro. They sought for a lodging, but the inns were filld all, They, alas! could not have it, but in an ox's stall. But before the next morning our Saviour was born, In the month of December, Christmas Day in the morn.
9-12 are wanting.
B. b.
22. and his cousin Mary got.
24. by whom Joseph knew not.
31. As Joseph.
32. the garden.
43. Gather me some.
45,6. Gather me some cherries, for I am with child.
51. O then bespoke.
52. with words most.
6. O then bespoke Jesus, all in his mother's womb: Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down. 7. Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow to thee, And the highest branch of all shall bow down to Mary's knee. And she shall gather cherries, by one, by two, by three: Now you may see, Joseph, those cherries were for me.
133. with the spring.
15. This world shall be like the stones in the street, For the sun and the moon shall bow down at thy feet.
(my feet in a Warwickshire broadside: Sylvester.)
17. And upon the third day my uprising shall be, And the sun and the moon shall rise up with me.
18 is wanting.
For 9-13 we have, as a separate carol, in Chappell's Christmas Carols, edited by Dr E. F. Rimbault, p. 22, the following verses, traditional in Somersetshire:[4]
1 As Joseph was a walking he heard an angel sing: 'This night shall be the birth-time of Christ, the heavnly king. 2 'He neither shall be born in housen nor in hall, Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an ox's stall. 3 'He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall, But in the fair white linen that usen babies all. 4 'He neither shall be rocked in silver nor in gold, But in a wooden manger, that resteth on the mould.' 5 As Joseph was a walking there did an angel sing, And Mary's child at midnight was born to be our king. 6 Then be ye glad, good people, this night of all the year, And light ye up your candles, for his star it shineth clear.
c.
13. When he.
2 is omitted.
After 3:
Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard good, Where were cherries and berries, as red as any blood.
5 is omitted.
6, 7. Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow to thee, And the highest branch of all shall bow down to Mary's knee. Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow to thee, And you shall gather cherries, by one, by two, and three. Then bowed down the highest tree unto his mother's hand: See, Mary cried, see, Joseph, I have cherries at command.
172. my uprising.
173. moon, mother.
174. shall both rise.
18 is wanting, and is suspiciously modern.
d.
11. When Joseph.
12. and wanting.
21, 2. When Joseph he had his cousin Mary got.
24. by whom Joseph knew not.
31. As Joseph.
32. the garden gay.
33, 4. Where cherries were growing upon every spray. 43, 4. Gather me some cherries, for I am with child. 5. Gather me some cherries, they run so in my mind. Then bespoke Joseph, with wordes so unkind, I will not gather cherries. Then said Mary, You shall see, By what will happen, these cherries were for me.
61. Then bespoke Jesus.
63, 4. Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down. 7. And the highest branch shall bow to Mary's knee, And she shall gather cherries, by one, two, and three.
8 wanting.
10 wanting.
113. But in fine.
131, 2. He never did require white wine and bread.
133. But cold spring.
13 precedes 12.
143, 4. Come tell me, dear child, how.
15. This world shall be like the stones in the street, For the sun and the moon shall bow down at my feet.
The rest is wanting.
D.
32. to the garden school.
The first stanza is said to have this variation in Worcestershire:
Joseph was a hoary man, and a hoary man was he.
Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, III, 75.