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This is based on Kipling’s poem, “A Tree Song”; it’s his light-hearted account of some of the ancient sacred trees of England. He had studied British folklore, and knew a lot more than he told. He also knew a few of the great 19th-century British “occultists”, which included some not-so-covert Pagans.

lyrics

Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater are none beneath the sun
Than oak, and ash, and thorn.
Sing oak, and ash, and thorn, good sirs,
All of a midsummer’s morn!
Surely we sing of no little thing,
In oak, and ash, and thorn!

Oak of the clay lived many a day
Ere ever Aeneas began.
Ash of the loam was a lady at home
When Brut was an outlaw man.
Thorn of the down saw New Troy town
(From which was London born);
Witness hereby the ancientry
Of oak, and ash, and thorn!

Yew that is old in the churchyard-mould,
He breedeth a mighty bow.
Alder for shoes do wise men choose,
And beech for cups also.
But when you’ve killed, and your bowl is spilled,
And your shoes are clean outworn,
Back ye must speed for all that ye need
To oak, and ash, and thorn!

Elm she hates mankind, and waits
Till every gust be laid
To drop a limb on the head of him
That anyway trusts her shade.
But whether a lad be sober or sad,
Or mellow with ale from the horn,
He’ll take no wrong when he lies along
’Neath oak, and ash, and thorn!

Oh, do not tell the priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But – we’ve been out in the woods all night,
Conjuring summer in!
And we bring good news by word of mouth –
Good news for cattle and corn –
Now is the sun come up from the south
With oak, and ash, and thorn!

Sing oak, and ash, and thorn, good sirs
All of a midsummer’s morn!
England shall bide till judgment tide
With oak, and ash, and thorn!

credits

from Avalon is Risen (The Retro Filk Mix), released December 1, 2012
Lyrics by Rudyard Kipling (1906, Puck of Pook’s Hill), adapted by Leslie Fish
Music © 1978 Leslie Fish

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Leslie Fish Phoenix, Arizona

If there's one name that's practically synonymous with filk (Science Fiction folk music), it's Leslie Fish. Leslie has written literally hundreds of songs covering almost every subject, from the space program ("Hope Eyrie"), to Star Trek ("Banned From Argo") to urban life, history, and space fantasy ("Carmen Miranda's Ghost"). ... more

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