For Tonight We'll Merry Merry Be

At an SCA event a few months ago, my roommate Aviva heard a folksong that sounded oddly familiar.

Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
For tonight shall merry-i be
For tonight shall merry-i be
For tonight shall merry-i be
Tomorrow I'll be sober.

There appear to be several variants of this song (called, variously, "Three Jolly Coachmen" or "Landlord, Fill The Flowing Bowl"), as well as "Farewell to Grog", a version with different lyrics in honor of the United States Navy removing alcohol from its list of standard rations in 1862.

( All hands to splice the main brace, call )

Of course, the reason Aviva and I are both highly amused by this song is that it is clearly the source of a traditional English Purim song (scroll down to "Wicked Man") on which we were both brought up:

( Oh once there was a wicked wicked man )

The original is definitely better, I must say, although I have to admire the authors/active bearers of "Wicked Man" for having the chutzpah to rhyme "Ahashverosh" with "scare us".

( Here's to the man who drinks dark ale )

Happy Purim, everyone!