contentThe old year now away is fled,
The new year it is entered,
Then let us now our sins downtread,
And joyfully all appear.
Let's merry be this day,
And let us now both sport and play;
Hang grief, cast care away!
God send you a happy New Year!
The other verses are a bit too fixated on repentance and other grim Lenten thoughts. One has to wonder whether the 17th-century author of the lyrics was nursing a New Year's hangover.
You know, the Renaissance produced so much incredibly lovely music, created polyphony as the most humanistic form of composition the world had ever known and laid the foundations for the divine contrapuntal structure that would become the fugue. Why they couldn't let go of Greensleeves is beyond me.
Oh, don't mistake me ... Greensleeves is a lovely tune. In theory. But I've had to play every single variation that's ever been invented, and in my relatively short performance career, I have to say I've grown heartily weary of it.
By the time your 17th-century author put his pen to these words, the tune was already some 200-plus years old and going at least 40 variations strong. It boggles the mind. Personally, I think that's further evidence arguing in favour of his hangover status. ;)
*preparing to downtread sins*
"EnterED," oh, my, yes. I can't seem to figure out how to add diacritical marks in the simple LJ-entry form, shame on me!
Happy Downtreading Day!
omg you're getting a Hue!!! waaaa i gotta stalk that lovely boy of yours when he comes in! I'm sooo in love with that body sculpt O_O!!! too bad none for me cause i've blown my budget T__T