Borrowed and altered from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “A Tree Song.”
Of all the trees that grow so fair Old England to adorn Fairer are none beneath the Sun Than Oak and Ash and Thorn (chorus) Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs All on a Midsummer's morn Surely we sing of no little thing In Oak and Ash and Thorn Oak of the clay saw many a day Ere ever aneas began Ash was the loom of a Lady at home Whan brute was an outlaw man Thorn of the dance saw New Troy town From which dear London was born Witness hereby the ancientry of Oak and Ash and Thorn (chorus) Yew that is old in churchyard mold He breedeth a mighty bow Alder for shoes do wisemen choose And Birch for a cup also But when you have killed and your bowl has spilled And your shoes are clear outworn Back you must speed for all that you need In Oak and Ash and Thorn (chorus) Ailim, she hateth mankind and waiteth Till every gust be laid To drop a limb on the head of him Who leastwise trusts her shade But whether a lad be sober or sad Or mellow with ale from the Horn He will take no harm if he lay ere long Neath Oak and Ash and Thorn (chorus) Oh do not tell the Priest of our art For they would call it a sin But we have been out in the woods all night A conjurin' Summer in And we bring you news by word of mouth Good news for cattle and corn Now is the Sun come up from the South With Oak and Ash and Thorn (chorus) Alternate chorus for ending: Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn All on a Midsummer’s morn England shall bide ‘til judgement tide By Oak and Ash and ThornAppropriate for Litha