By Elizabeth de Spaldyng
(Tune – The Gloucestershire Wassail – Trad.)
Come good gentles all
From far and near,
Honor your kingdom
This joyous new year,
Your table shall gleam
With glass and fine plate,
Your garments the richest
That you can create.
Refrain:
At Twelfth Night, At Twelfth Night
Come one and come all,
Take a partner and dance
At the grand Twelfth Night ball,
Dress in fine clothes
And raise your glass high,
For the fortieth year
Of Atlantia, draw nigh!
So, here’s to our King
May his life e’er be long,
His reign be full of honor
His sword arm stay strong,
Keep him in fine health
And full of good cheer,
With our King on the throne,
We need never fear!
And here’s to our fair Queen
Long may she reign,
We rest in her beauty
And bless her good name,
We fight for her favor
And seek out her praise,
Our Queen is a lady
Of kindness and grace.
Refrain:
At Twelfth Night, At Twelfth Night
Come one and come all,
Take a partner and dance
At the grand Twelfth Night ball,
Dress in fine clothes
And raise your glass high,
For the fortieth year
Of Atlantia, draw nigh!
Here’s to the steward
Who planned this event,
A credit to the kingdom
They do represent,
Revelry of all sorts
For yeoman and lord,
Atlantian service
Brings its own reward.
Come, Lord of Misrule,
Let the feasting begin,
Share meat, pies, and cheeses
With all of your kin,
Bring the Twelfth Night cake out
At the end of the feast,
Good luck to all gentles
From highest to least.
Refrain:
At Twelfth Night, At Twelfth Night
Come one and come all,
Take a partner and dance
At the grand Twelfth Night ball,
Dress in fine clothes
And raise your glass high,
For the fortieth year
Of Atlantia, draw nigh!
Here’s to the fiddler,
The player of tunes,
We hope that the music
Won’t end far too soon,
If a cup of strong ale
Will help you play on,
Let it flow so the evening
Will end with a song.
And here’s to the mummers
Who sing at the door,
For the Christmastide carols
They bring us still more,
Food and drink from their lord
To drive off the chill,
In return, they bless him
With song and goodwill.
Refrain:
At Twelfth Night, At Twelfth Night
Come one and come all,
Take a partner and dance
At the grand Twelfth Night ball,
Dress in fine clothes
And raise your glass high,
For the fortieth year
Of Atlantia, draw nigh!
And here’s to Atlantia,
Our kingdom of worth,
We celebrate now
Looking back at your birth,
From the north to the south,
From mountains to sea,
Our Atlantia, our kingdom,
We sing unto thee.
Refrain:
At Twelfth Night, At Twelfth Night
Come one and come all,
Take a partner and dance
At the grand Twelfth Night ball,
Dress in fine clothes
And raise your glass high,
For the fortieth year
Of Atlantia, draw nigh!
Copyright by Sara K. Spalding, 2022
Notes
This song in the key of D. The chords are the same for the verses and the refrain. Below are the chords used in each line of the song.
D
G/D
Em/A
D/A
D/A
D/A
D/G
Em/A/D
This song is written to the tune of “The Gloucestershire Wassail,” which is a traditional English Christmas carol dating from at least the 18th Century, and is probably older. It was first published in 1813 and was documented as being performed in Gloucestershire in 1790. Its earliest origins are not known, although some historians believe it has Anglo-Saxon roots.
Twelfth Night traditions in the Tudor era included a Lord of Misrule to preside over the festivities, dancing, singing, games, feasting, and drinking. Many celebrations featured a Twelfth Night Cake with a pea and a bean baked inside. The male guest who found the bean was named the Twelfth Night king. Likewise, the female guest who found the pea was the Twelfth Night queen. Mummers or wassailers were also common. In some English regions with cider production, wassailers would visit the orchards and sing to the health of the trees for a good harvest.
- Source for “The Gloucestershire Wassail” – Dearmer, Percy, Shaw, Martin, and Vaughan-Williams, Ralph, ed. The Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 1928, 1984.
- More information about the Gloucestershire Wassail tradition – https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/ritual-and-revelry-the-story-of-wassailing