A Tudor Christmas/Pearl Harbor Day

Dawn Pisturino

Dec 7

(Photo by Al Elmes on Unsplash)

Green Groweth the Holly

by King Henry the VIII of England

Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.
Though winter blasts blow never so high,
Green groweth the holly.

As the holly groweth green
    And never changeth hue,
So I am, and ever hath been,
    Unto my lady true.
            Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.
Though winter blasts blow never so high,
Green groweth the holly.

As the holly groweth green,
    With ivy all alone,
When flowerys cannot be seen
    And green-wood leaves be gone,
              Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.
Though winter blasts blow never so high,
Green groweth the holly.

Now unto my lady
    Promise to her I make:
From all other only
    To her I me betake.
                Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.
Though winter blasts blow never so high,
Green groweth the holly.

Adieu, mine own lady,
Adieu, my specïal,
Who hath my heart truly,
Be sure, and ever shall.

Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.
Though winter blasts blow never so high,
Green groweth the holly.

Greensleeves -

Attributed to King Henry VIII but actually published in 1580 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1865, Englishman William Chatterton Dix "borrowed" the musical composition, changed the lyrics, and turned it into the Christmas carol, What Child is This? While Greensleeves remains a popular folk song in England, the Christmas carol is uniquely popular in the United States.