THE HOLLY TREE CAROL - Jean Ritchie
recorded by Jean Ritchie on "Kentucky Christmas: Old and New", and on "Twas On a Night Like This" by Cathy Barton, Dave Para, Caroline Paton, Sandy Paton, Ed Trickett & Skip Gorman

In the spring of the year stands a little holly tree,
With dark leaves thorny and small,
She is neither so green as the beechen queen,
Nor as the oak tree tall.

O, the spring flowers spring and the little birds sing,
But holly has nothing to say;
For she quietly blossoms in the sweet May time.
But her joy, joy, joy, we share it all,*
Her joy is a Christmas Day.

In the fall of the year the beech turns brown,
And the oak stands naked and bare;
But holly goes dancing in the snow white fields
With crimson light in her hair.

O hard is her heart and bitter is her bark,
And cruel sharp her thorn.
But her berries red make our hearts all glad
On the day our Lord was born.

* original - "we share all men"

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