Willie, take your little drum,
Robin, bring your flute 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, pa-ta-pa-ta-pan;
To the sound of this shrill noise,
Let us raise a Noel, Boys!
Long ago our fathers sang
Such a song on this same day:
'Twas of Bethlehem, their lay,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pa-ta-pa-ta-pan;
Where wise kings and shepherds stray
To the stars their music rang.
As we join our choicest airs,
In a hymn that upward fares:
Earth and heaven seem near our prayers:
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pa-ta-pa-ta-pan;
Vanish all our daily cares
While we dance and sing Noel.
