The Twelve Days of Christmas
Clare College Choir & Orchestra Cambridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a popular Christmas carol that celebrates the twelve days of Christmas, beginning with Christmas Day and ending on Epiphany. Each of the twelve days features a gift from the singer's true love, with each subsequent day building on the previous one. The song's origins can be traced back to the 18th century, although there is some debate about the exact meaning of each gift in the song.
On the first day of Christmas, the singer's true love sends them a partridge in a pear tree, which symbolizes Jesus Christ. On the second day, they receive two turtle doves, which represent the Old and New Testaments. On the third day, they receive three French hens, which stand for faith, hope, and love. Each subsequent day introduces a new gift, with five golden rings representing the first five books of the Old Testament, and the six geese a-laying symbolizing the six days of creation. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the eight maids a-milking are the beatitudes. The nine ladies dancing are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful apostles, and the twelve drummers drumming are the twelve points of the apostles' creed.
Overall, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was likely created as a memory aid to help children learn about Christianity, with each gift representing a different religious concept. However, the song has also become a popular secular Christmas carol, with the repetition and cumulative nature of the lyrics making it a fun sing-along during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree.
My true love gave me a partridge in a pear tree as a gift on the first day of Christmas.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, in addition to the partridge in a pear tree, my true love also gave me two turtle doves.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
My true love continued the trend of giving me more gifts each day. On the third day, I received three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
My true love increased the number of gifts I received on the fourth day to include four calling birds.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave me five golden rings in addition to the previous gifts.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
Six geese laying eggs were among the next round of gifts that my true love gave to me.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
My true love gave me seven swans swimming along with the previous gifts by the seventh day of Christmas.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day, I received eight maids who would be milking cows in addition to the gifts I have already received.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
Nine ladies dancing were among the next set of gifts that I received along with the maids milking cows and the other gifts.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, I received ten lords who would be leaping along with the other gifts.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day, my true love gave me eleven pipers playing pipes along with the previous gifts.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!
My true love continued the tradition of giving me more and more gifts each day until the twelve days of Christmas were over, with the final gift being twelve drummers drumming.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lisacampbell4295
i just LOVE THIS!!