Now thrice welcome Christmas / William Winstanley

       
Now thrice welcome Christmas

Now thrice welcome Christmas,
          Which brings us good-cheer,
Minced pies and plum-porridge,
          Good ale and strong beer;
With pig, goose, and capon,
          The best that can be,
So well doth the weather
          And our stomachs agree.
Observe how the chimneys
          Do smoke all about,
The cooks are providing
          For dinner, no doubt;
But those on whose tables
          No victuals appear — 
Oh, may they keep Lent
          All the rest of the year.
With holly and ivy
          So green and so gay,
We deck up our houses
          As fresh as the day,
With bay and rosemary
          And laurels complete,
And every one now
          Is a king in conceit.

---
William Winstanley
from Poor Robin's Almanac, 1695

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

William Winstanley biography