Nicolas And The Pickled Boys - Britten
Composed: 1948
Performed by: Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Album: Saint Nicolas - A Ceremony Of Carols
Famine tracks us down the lanes,
Hunger holds our horses' reins,
Winter heaps the roads with snow;
O we have far to go!
Starving beggars howl their cry,
Snarl to see us spurring by,
Times are bad and travel slow;
O we have far to go!
Mothers: We mourn our boys, our missing sons!
We sorrow for three little ones!
Timothy, Mark and John are gone!
Travellers: Landlord, take this piece of gold!
Bring us food before the cold
Makes our pangs of hunger grow;
O we have far to go!
Mothers: Day by day we seek to find
Some trace of them but oh! Unkind!
Timothy, Mark and John are gone!
Travellers: Let us share this dish of meat.
Come, my friends, sit down and eat!
Join us, Bishop, for we know
That you have far to go!
Mothers: Mary meek and Mother mild
Who lost thy Jesus as a child,
Our Timothy, Mark and John are gone!
Travellers: Come, your Grace, don't eat so slow!
Take some meat - taste!
Nicolas: O do not taste!
O do not feed on sin!
But haste to save three souls in need!
strong>Nicolas: The mothers' cry is sad and weak,
Within these walls they lie
Whom mothers sadly seek.
Timothy, Mark and John,
Put your fleshly garments on!
Come from dark oblivion! Come!
See! see! three boys spring back to life,
Who, slaughtered by the butcher's knife,
Lay salted down!
And entering, hand in hand they stand and sing
Alleluia to their King!
Alleluia!