Good Rest to Merry Kindred Folk (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)

 Good Rest to Merry Kindred Folk (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) 

The most common version with eight stanzas appeared in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London, 1833) by William Sandys (1792-1874), the source upon which most hymnals have based their selection of stanzas - USMC Discipleship. 

Loreena McKennit’s is my favorite.  

A lot of these songs have verses that don’t depend too much on one another for a continuous storyline and can be expanded with future verses should inspiration arise.  

 

Good rest to merry kindred folk 

Let nothing you dismay 

For sunlight is returned to us 

A little every day 

The covering of night's dark pall  

Bring forth tomorrow’s play 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy 

  

Fear not then said the freezing rain 

Let nothing you a-fright 

For nature's turn about the sun 

Is pure and true and right 

It turns it moves it dances 'round 

The sun so big and bright 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy 

  

Now to the Earth sing praises 

All you within this place 

And with true love and brotherhood 

Each other now embrace 

And share with one another 

This planet, and this space 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy 

Oh tidings of comfort and joy 

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