Can I not sing but 'Hoy,'
When the jolly shepherd made so much joy?
1. The shepherd upon a hill he sat;
He had on him his tabard and his hat,
His tar-box, his pipe, and his flagat; [bundle]
His name was called Jolly, Jolly Wat,
For he was a good shepherd's boy.
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
2. The shepherd upon a hill he laid;
His dog to his belt was tied.
He had not slept but a little braid, [a short while]
When 'Gloria in excelsis' was to him said.
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
3. The shepherd on a hill he stood;
Round about him his sheep they yode; [went]
He put his hand under his hood,
He saw a star as red as blood.
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
4. 'Now farewell, Mall, and also Will! [his sheep]
For my love go ye all still [behave yourselves]
Unto I come again you til,
And evermore, Will, ring well thy bell.'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
5. 'Now must I go where Crist was born;
Farewell! I come again tomorn.
Dog, keep well my sheep from the corn,
And warn well Warroke when I blow my horn!'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
6. The shepherd said anon right,
'I will go see yon wondrous sight,
Of which the angel singeth in the height,
And the star that shineth so bright.'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
7. When Wat to Bethlehem come was,
He sweated, he had gone faster than a pace;
He found Jesu in a simple place,
Between an ox and an ass.
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
8. 'Jesu, I offer to thee here my pipe,
My skirt, my tar-box, and my scrip;
Home to my fellows now will I skip,
And also look unto my sheep.'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
9. 'Now farewell, mine own herdsman Wat!'
'Yea, by God, lady, even so I hat; [am called]
Lull well Jesu in thy lap,
And farewell, Joseph, with thy round cape!'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
10. 'Now may I well both hop and sing,
For I have been at Christ's bearing;
Home to my fellows now will I fling.
Christ of heaven to his bliss us bring!'
With hoy!
For with his pipe he made so much joy.
This is a sixteenth-century carol from the commonplace book which belonged to the London grocer Richard Hill (now Balliol College, Oxford, MS. 354). I love how similar the refrain ('Can I not sing...') is to George Herbert's line from 'Christmas': "The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?" It's a kind of trickledown effect: the angels sing to the shepherds, the shepherds sing, and then we sing carols about their singing...
See also: The visit of the shepherds from an Old English translation of the Gospels.
And the unmodernised carol:
Can I not syng but hoy,
Whan the joly sheperd made so mych joy?
1. The sheperd upon a hill he satt;
He had on hym his tabard and his hat,
Hys tarbox, hys pype, and hys flagat;
Hys name was called Joly, Joly Wat,
For he was a gud herdes boy.
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
2. The sheperd upon a hill was layd;
Hys doge to hys gyrdyll was taid;
He had not slept but a lytill broyd,
But 'Gloria in excelcis' was to hym sayd.
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
3. The sheperd on a hill he stode;
Rownd abowt hym his shepe they yode;
He put hys hond under hys hode;
He saw a star as rede as blod.
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so myche joy.
4. 'Now farewell, Mall, and also Will;
For my love go ye all styll
Unto I cum agayn you till,
And evermore, Will, ryng well thy bell.'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
5. 'Now must I go ther Cryst was born;
Farewell, I cum agayn tomorn.
Dog, kepe well my shep fro the corn,
And warn well, warroke, when I blow my horn.'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
6. The shepard sayd anon right,
'I will go se yon farly syght,
Whereas the angell syngeth on hight,
And the star that shynyth so bryght.'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
7. Whan Wat to Bedlem cum was,
He swet, he had gone faster than a pace.
He fownd Jesu in a sympyll place,
Betwen an ox and an asse.
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
8. 'Jhesu, I offer to the here my pype,
My skyrte, my tarbox, and my scrype;
Home to my fellowes now will I skype,
And also loke unto my shepe.'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
9. 'Now farewell, myne owne herdesman Wat.'
'Ye, for God, lady, even so I hat.
Lull well Jhesu in thy lape,
And farewell, Joseph, wyth thy rownd cape.'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
10. 'Now may I well both hope and syng,
For I have bene a Crystes beryng.
Home to my felowes now wyll I flyng.
Cryst of hevyn to his blis us bryng!'
Vith hoy!
For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
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