Merry little maidens, Oh!
Round the May-pole now we go.
Glancing hands and twinkling feet,
Going through our figures neat.
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

Lizzie, Maggie, Florence, Nell,
Edith, Aldyth, Lettie, Bell,
Polly, Mary, Hannah, Beck,
Dancing round the pole we deck.
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

Hand on hip and hand in air,
One by one or pair by pair,
Four by four or three by three,
Round we go with grace and glee.
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

Now we sing and now we shout,
Dancing in and dancing out;
While the ribbons overhead,
Twist from white to blue and red.
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

Crissed and crossed while round we go,
Patterns as by magic show;
May-poles never at their best
Were in brighter colours dressed.
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                        Merry little maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

Keswick fathers, come and see,
How we dress the May-pole tree;
Keswick mothers, come and gaze,
Dream again of golden days.
                        And of merry maidens,
                        And of merry maidens,
                        And of merry maidens,
                            Bringing in the May!

(English Lakes Visitor and Keswick Guardian, 3 May 1890, p. 5)