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Christmas Comes But Once A Year · Ririro.com - Poetry

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  Speaker 1: Christmas comes, but once a year those Christmas bells as
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  Speaker 1: sweetly chime as on the day when first they rung
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  Speaker 1: so merrily in the old in time and far and
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  Speaker 1: wide their music flung, shaking the tall, gray ivied tower.
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  Speaker 1: With all their deep melodious power. They still proclaimed to
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  Speaker 1: every ear, Old Christmas comes, but once a year. Then
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  Speaker 1: he came singing through the woods and plucked the holly,
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  Speaker 1: bright and green, pulled here and there. The ivy buds
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  Speaker 1: was sometimes hidden, sometimes seen half buried neath the mistletoe.
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  Speaker 1: His long beard hung with flakes of snow, And still
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  Speaker 1: he ever caroled clear. Old Christmas came, but once a
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  Speaker 1: year he merrily came in days of old, when roads
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  Speaker 1: were few and ways were foul, Now staggered. Now some
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  Speaker 1: ditty trolled. Now drank deep from his wassail bowl, his
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  Speaker 1: holly silvered oar with frost. Nor never once his way
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  Speaker 1: he lost, for reeling here and reeling there, Old Christmas came,
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  Speaker 1: but once a year. The hall was then with holly
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  Speaker 1: crowned twas on the wild deer's antlers placed it hemmed
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  Speaker 1: the battered armor round, and every ancient trophy graced it,
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  Speaker 1: decked the boar's head tusked and grim, the wasail bowl
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  Speaker 1: wreathed to the brim, A summer green hung everywhere. For
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  Speaker 1: Christmas came, but once a year, his jaded steed, the
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  Speaker 1: armied Night, reined up before the abbey gate, by all
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  Speaker 1: assisted to a light. From humble monk to abbot great,
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  Speaker 1: They placed his lance behind the door, his armor on
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  Speaker 1: the rush strewn floor, and then brought out the best
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  Speaker 1: of cheer. For Christmas came but once a year. The maiden, then,
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  Speaker 1: in quaint attire, loosed from her head the silken hood,
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  Speaker 1: and danced before the Yule log fire, the crackling monarch
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  Speaker 1: of the wood, in lines of light like summer rays,
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  Speaker 1: while music sounded loud and clear. For Christmas came but
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  Speaker 1: once a year. What though upon his hoary head have
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  Speaker 1: fallen many a winter snow, his wreath is still as
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  Speaker 1: green and red as twas a thousand years ago. For
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  Speaker 1: what has he to do with care? His wahsail bowl
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  Speaker 1: and old armchair are ever standing ready there for Christmas comes,
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  Speaker 1: but once a year. No marvel Christmas lives so long
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  Speaker 1: he never knew, but merry hours. His nights were spent
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  Speaker 1: with mirth and song in happy homes and princely bowers.
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  Speaker 1: Was greeted both by Serf and Lord, and seated at
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  Speaker 1: the festal board, while every voice cried, welcome here. Old
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  Speaker 1: Christmas comes but once a year. But what care we
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  Speaker 1: for days of old? The knights whose arms have turned
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  Speaker 1: to rust, their grim boars, heads and pasties cold, their
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  Speaker 1: castles crumbled into dust. Never did sweeter faces go blushing
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  Speaker 1: beneath the mistletoe than are tonight assembled here, for Christmas
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: still comes once a year. For those old times are
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: dead and gone, and those who hailed them passed away.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Yet still there lingers many a one to welcome in
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  Speaker 1: old Christmas day. The poor will many a care forget
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  Speaker 1: the debtor think not of his debt, but as they
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  Speaker 1: each enjoy their cheer, wish it was Christmas all the year.
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  Speaker 1: And still around these good old times we hang like friends,
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  Speaker 1: full loath to part. We listen to the simple rhymes
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  Speaker 1: which somehow sink into the heart, half musical, half melancholy,
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  Speaker 1: like childish smiles that still are holy. A masker's face
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  Speaker 1: dimmed with a tear. For Christmas comes but once a year.
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  Speaker 1: The bells which usher in that morn have ever drawn
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  Speaker 1: my mind away to Bethlehem, where Christ was born, and
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  Speaker 1: the low stable where he lay, in which the large
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  Speaker 1: eyed Oxen fed to Mary, bowing low her head and
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  Speaker 1: looking down with love. Sincere, such thoughts bring ring Christmas
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  Speaker 1: once a year at early day. The youthful voice heard
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  Speaker 1: singing on from door to door makes the responding heart
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  Speaker 1: rejoice to know the children of the poor, for once
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  Speaker 1: are happy. All day long we smile and listen to
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  Speaker 1: the song the burthen, still remote or near. Old Christmas
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  Speaker 1: comes but once a year, upon a gayer, happier scene.
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  Speaker 1: Never did holly Berry's peer or Ivy throw its trailing,
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  Speaker 1: green or brighter forms than there are here, nor Christmas
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  Speaker 1: in his old arm chair smile upon lips and brows
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  Speaker 1: more fair, then let us sing amid our cheer. Old
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  Speaker 1: Christmas still comes once a year.