Folksongs

"A Lyke-Wake Dirge"

As written in Select English Classics: Old Ballads, by Q

ca. 1910

In the following text, the burden is indicated in italics in the first stanza.
The form of each individual chorus is a-1-b-2, where a is the first line of the couplet, b is the second, and 1 and 2 are the first and second lines of the burden.

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
—Every nighte and alle,
Fire and sleet and candle-lighte,
And Christe receive thy saule.

When thou from hence away art past,
To Whinny-muir thou com'st at last;

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon,
Sit thee down and put them on;

If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane;

From Whinny-muir when thou may'st pass,
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last;

From Brig o' Dread when thou may'st pass,
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last;

If ever thou gavest meat or drink,
The fire sall never make thee shrink;

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
Fire and sleet and candle-lighte,