"Deck the Halls"
is a traditional Yuletide and New Years' carol. The "fa-la-la"
refrains were probably originally played on the harp.
In the eighteenth century Mozart
used the tune to "Deck the Halls" for a violin and piano duet.
The English words generally sung
today are American in origin and date from the 19th century, but the original
lyrics are Welsh.
Note that the lines of the first
two versions were not exclusive of one another and were often interchanged
without preference. Various other versions remove or replace certain Fa la la
lines with harp melodies. Sometimes the third, "New Year", version is
a follow up.
Popular version "Deck the Halls"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Toll the ancient Yule tide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la. See the blazing Yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la. Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. While I tell of Yule tide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, la la la la. |
Alternate Version "Deck the Hall"Deck the hall with boughs of holly, Fa a la la la, la la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa a la la la, la la la la. Fill the mead-cup, drain the barrel Fa a la la la, la la la la. Troll the ancient Christmas carol Fa a la la la, la la la la. See the blazing yule before us Fa a la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa a la la la, la la la la. Follow me in merry measure, Fa a la la la, la la la la. While I sing of beauty's treasure Fa a la la la, la la la la. Fast away the old year passes, Fa a la la la, la la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa a la la la, la la la la. Laughing, quaffing, all together Fa a la la la, la la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa a la la la, la la la la. |
English Folk Version or AdditionSoon the hoar old year must leave us, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. But the parting must not grieve us Fa la la la la, fa la la la. When the new year comes tomorrow Fa la la, fa la la, fa la la Let him find no trace of sorrow Fa la la la la, fa la la la. He our pleasures may redouble, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. He may bring us store of trouble, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Hope the best and gaily meet him, Fa la la, fa la la, fa la la With a jovial chorus greet him, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. At his birth, he brings us gladness, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Ponder not on future sadness, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Anxious care is now but folly, Fa la la, fa la la, fa la la Fill the mead-cup, hand the holly, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. |
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Welsh version "Twas" or "Oer yw'r gŵr"Note that the second verse and the Fa la las were later folk additions to the original. Oer yw'r gwr sy'n methu caru, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Hen fynyddoedd annwyl Cymru, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Iddo ef a'u câr gynhesaf Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, Gwyia llawen flwyddyn nesaf, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. I'r helbulus oer yw'r biliau, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Sydd yn dyfod yn y gwyliau, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Gwrando bregeth mewn un pennill, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, Byth na waria fwy na'th ennill, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Oer yw'r eira ar Eryri, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Er fod gwrthban gwlanen arni, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. Oer yw'r bobol na ofalan', Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, Gwrdd â'i gilydd ar Nos Galan, Ffa la la la la, fa la la la. |
Welsh Translation "New Year's Eve" or "Cold is the Man"Cold is the man who can't love, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, The old mountains of dear
Fa la la la la, fa la la la, To him and his warmest friend, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, A cheerful holiday next year, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. To the troubled, cold are the bills, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Which come during the holidays, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Listening to a sermon in one verse, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, Spending more than you earn, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. Cold is the snow on Mount Snowdon, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Even though it has a flannel banket on it, Fa la la la la, fa la la la, Cold are the people who don't care, Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la, To meet together on New Year's Eve, Fa la la la la, fa la la la. |
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The tune is that of an old Welsh
air, first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John
Parry Ddall (c. 1710–1782), but undoubtedly much older than that. The
composition is still popular as a dance tune in Wales, and was published in the
1784 and 1794 editions of the harpist Edward Jones's Musical and Poetical
Relics of the Welsh Bards. Poet,
John
Ceiriog Hughes wrote the first published lyrics for the piece in Welsh,
titling it "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve"). A middle verse
was later added by folk
singers. In the eighteenth century the tune spread widely, with Mozart using
it in a piano and violin concerto.
Originally, carols
were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a
setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each
other, verse for verse — known as canu penillion dull y De
("singing verses in the southern style"). The church actively opposed
these folk dances. Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols
became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as
"carols". The popular English lyrics for this carol are not a
translation from the Welsh. The connection with dancing is made explicit in the
English lyrics by the phrase "follow me in merry measure" as
"measure" is a synonym for dance. A collection of such sixteenth and
seventeenth century dances danced at the Inns
of Court in London
are called the Old
Measures. Dancing itself having been previously suppressed by the church was
revived during the renaissance
beginning in fifteenth century Italy .
During the Victorian
re-invention of Christmas it was turned into a traditional English Christmas
song. The first English version appeared in The Franklin Square Song
Collection, edited by J.P.McCaskey in 1881. See here
for a more detailed summary of what various sources say about its history.