Willie take your little drum,
Robin take your fife, and come;
When we hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Christmas should be frolicsome.
Take thy tabor and thy flute,
None today must e’er be mute:
With such jolly shepherd toys,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan;
To the sound of this shrill noise,
Let us raise a Noel Boys!
Long ago our father sang
Such a song on this same day:
‘Twas of Bethlehem, their lay,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
Where the wise Kings stray:
To the stars their music rang.
As we join our choicest airs,
In a hymn that upward fares:
Earth and heav’n seem near our prayers:
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pat-a-pat-a-pan,
Vanish all our daily cares
While we dance and sing,
We’ll sing, we’ll sing Noel, Noel.