I Saw Three Ships

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I Saw Three Ships is a traditional and popular Christmas carol from England. It is often regarded as a children's song, due to the simplicity and repetitiveness of its lyrics. Some sources assert that this song is "an upbeat variant of Greensleeves", which has a similar meter. The earliest printed version is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire.

[edit] Lyrics

Version from "Christmas Carols, An­cient and Mo­dern", by William Sandys, 1833:


I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the bells on Earth shall ring,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the bells on Earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the angels in Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the angels in Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the souls on Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the souls on Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
Then let us rejoice amain,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Digest of lyrics, as sung by Nat King Cole:

I saw three ships come sailing in
And what was in those ships all three?
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
And all the Angels in Heav'n shall sing
Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day in the morning

There are plenty of traditional versions of this that have been collected/recorded in the UK. Here is the text of a version traditional in the repertoire of the Romani family, the Brazil family of Gloucester as sung by Lemmy Brazil, recorded by Peter Shepheard in the 1960s:

I saw three ships go sailing by,
Sailing by, sailing by;
I saw three ships go sailing by,
On Christemas day in the morning.
Joseph and Mary was on the ship,
On the ship, on the ship;
Joseph and Mary was on the ship,
On Christemas day in the morning.
Joseph whistled and Mary singed,
And all the bells in Heaven ringed;
All the bells in Heaven ringed,
On Christemas day in the morning.
I Saw Three Ships


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