Candlemas Eve

1.
Down with the rosemary and bays,
Down with the mistletoe;
Instead of holly, now upraise
The greener box, for show.
Chorus:
The holly hitherto did sway:
Let box now domineer
Until the dancing Easter day,
Or Easter's eve appear.
2.
Then youthful box, which now hath grace
Your houses to renew,
Grown old, surrender must his place
Until the crispèd yew.
Chorus:
When yew is out, then birch comes in,
And many flowers beside,
Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,
to honour Whitsuntide.
3.
Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,
With cooler oaken boughs,
Come in for comely ornaments,
To re-adorn the house.
Chorus:
Thus times do shift; thus times do shift,
Each thing his turn doth hold;
New things succed, new things succeed,
As former things go old.

Song for the evening before Candlemas day, and spring

Words: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Basque melody, adapted by Edgar Pittman (1865-1943)
Chorus adapted by Gordon Hitchcock