Don't party too hard on, the Celtic New Year.
Watch out for those wizards, witches and goblins begging for those "tricks or treats.
Don't drink whilst flying.
Happy Samhaín
Here's a poem my mother used to recite to us children around Halloween to keep us in line and just to get us into the scary mood of goblins, witches, ghouls, wizards and the dead. It has been passed down through our clan and each of them have been reciting it to their kids as well.
It was written by James Whitcomb Riley and entitled:
Little Orphant Annie
Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups and saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away.
An' shoo the chickens off the purch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' all us other children, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun.
A-list'nin' to the witch tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-un 'at gets you
Ef you don't watch out!
Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,
so when he went to bed at night, away upstairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
an' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all!
An' they seeked him the ratter room, an' cubbyhole, an' press,
An' seeked him up thec chimbly flue, an' every'wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was this his pant an' roundabout:-
An' the Gobble-un 'at gets you
Ef you don't watch out!
An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever'one an' all her blood an' kin;
An' onc't, when they was "company", an' ole folks was there,
She mocked 'em an' she shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
There was two great big black things a standin' by her side.
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-un 'at gets you
Ef you don't watch out!
An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oooooooo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin' bugs in dew is all squenched away,-
You better mind yer parents, and yer teachers fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore and needy ones 'at clusters all all about,
Er the Gobble-un 'at gets you
Ef you don't watch out!
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A' Soalin' sung by Peter, Paul & Mary
This song fits nicely for this night of begging.
Hey, Ho, nobody home,
Meat nor drink or money have I got,
Can't we be merry,
Hey, Ho, nobody home.
A soal, soal, soalcake, please good missus a soalcake,
An apple, pear, plum a cherry,
any old thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, one for Paul,
one for Him who made us all.
God bless the master of this house and the missus, also,
and all the little children, around your table grow.
The cattle in your stable, the dog by your front door,
and all that dwells within these gates we wish you ten times more.
A soal, soal, soalcake, please good missus a soalcake,
An apple, pear, plum a cherry,
any old thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, one for Paul,
one for Him who made us all.
Go down into the cellar and see what you can find.
If the barrels are not empty, we hope you will be kind.
We hope you will be kind with your apples and strawberr'
We'll come no more a soalin' 'til this time next year.
A soal, soal, soalcake, please good missus a soalcake,
An apple, pear, plum a cherry,
any old thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, one for Paul,
one for Him who made us all.
The streets are very dirty, my shoes are very thin.
I have a little pocket to put a penny in.
If you haven't got a penny, an ha' penny will do.
If you haven't got an ha' penny, then, God bless you.
A soal, soal, soalcake, please good missus a soalcake,
An apple, pear, plum a cherry,
any old thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, one for Paul,
one for Him who made us all.
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2 comments:
Thanks, Butch. I'm a bit delayed arriving for your Samhain celebration, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Hope all of you are well! : )
Greg: No worries, I've been busier than a one-armed paper-hanger myself and haven't been making the rounds around the blog world. I hope to do that very soon. Hope everything is going well with you and Badums!
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