Many years ago an old Pennsylvania Dutch farmer of blessed memory patiently taught me how to give the New Year's greeting in that tongue:
Heilige Ny Jaar!Which literally means: "
Holy New Year!"Anyone can have a "happy" New Year and some, I suspect, are recovering even at this hour from too much liquid happiness.
But to expound on the Pennsylvania Dutch wish I offer this old English ballad:
THE OLD YEAR NOW AWAY IS FLED
England, 17th Century
TUNE:
Greensleves The old year now away is fled,
The new year it is en-ter-ed;
Then let us all our sins down tread,
And joy-ful-ly all appear.
Let's merry be this day,
And let us run with sport and play,
Hang sorrow, cast care away
God send us a merry new year!
Christ's cir-cum-ci-sion this day we keep,
Who for our sins did often weep;
His hands and feet were wounded deep,
His bless-ed side with a spear;
His head they crowned with thorn,
And at him they did laugh and scorn,
Who saving our souls was born.
God send us a merry new year!And now with new year's gifts each friend
Unto each other they do send;
God grant we may our lives amend,
That truth may now appear.
Snake-like cast off your skin
Of evil thoughts and wicked sin,
And pure this year begin --
God send us a merry new year!
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