The May Queen

The May Queen 

by Lord Alfred  Tennyson

YOU must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear;   
To-morrow 'll be the happiest time of all the glad new-year,--  
Of all the glad new-year, mother, the maddest, merriest day;   
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.   

I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake,   
If you do not call me loud when the day begins to break;           
But I must gather knots of flowers and buds, and garlands gay;   
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.       

The night-winds come and go, mother, upon the meadow-grass,   
And the happy stars above them seem to brighten as they pass;   
There will not be a drop of rain the whole of the livelong day;           
And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.   

So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear;   
To-morrow 'll be the happiest time of all the glad new-year;   
To-morrow 'll be of all the year the maddest, merriest day,   
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.