Come, witches, to the dance, to the merry dance!
Our lady loves our lord, o!
With pipe and drum in moon and sun
For fair dian and merry pan
The old ways are made young, o
The old ways are made young!
When midnight fills the sky, my true love and I
Will cast a circle round, o
With voices strong in chant and song
We'll work our will and drink our fill
And dance the darkness down, o
And dance the darkness down!
Chorus: To the lady’s dance of life
Her sweet piper calls
But if you should stumble
If you should fall
Rise up to the rhythm
That embraces it all
Come, witches, to the dance!
All hail the beltane fire! May it well inspire!
Burn triumphant to the lady!
She is crowned this day the queen of may
O’er woods and fields her green sceptre she wields
The mother now holds sway, o
The mother now holds sway
Farewell, our lady green! It is hallowe’en!
Now the crone wields her winter sceptre
Though old and wise, young are her eyes
Though death she brings, “rebirth!” she sings
To all that fades and dies, o
To all that fades and dies
Once in the full moon’s gleam as I lay in dream
Came the lady to my chamber
In earthly form like woman born
All time, all space lay in her face
I rose to her embrace, o
I rose to her embrace
So queenly was she, I fell to my knee
And bent my brow to her, o
“O no!” said she, “kneel not to me
But stand! Arise! Open your eyes!
It is yourself you see, o
Yourself you see in me!”
Come, witches, as before, to the shining door
Fear not to fling it open!
Fear not to see the mystery:
That we are pan and fair dian
And evermore shall be, o
And evermore shall be!