The Borning Day
West Indian, may be traditional
Record: Harry Belafonte

Mary and the Baby, ..
hungry; yes we know what hungry be
So we bring them peas and rice, and a little ginger tea
Only pigeon peas and rice, a little ginger tea
Mary thank us with her eyes, she poor the same as we
She poor the same as we Mary and the Baby, ..
lonely; lonely is not good to be
So we sit a while, and chat a while, to keep them compa-ny
Stay a while, make the baby smile, pass the time of day
When we see how pleased they be, it make us glad we stay
So glad that we could stay Mary and the Baby, .. weary;
oh, we know what weary be
So we make a bed, and pillow for their head, with down from the maho tree

Only down from the maho tree, to rest them soft and good
We feel bad, these be all we had; we do the best we could
We do the best we could Mary and the Babe rest ..
easy; we go away and let them be
On hushed tiptoe, and voice kept low, we look up and see
Star of hope shine in the sky, to mark the Baby's birth
Seem to say, it's Borning Day, of better times on Earth
Of better times on Earth