Come Let us Twine / O Mary, Take the Humble Crown

The origin of this Northern hemisphere hymn for the month of May is unknown. Books which is was in include "The Sunday School Prayer and Hymn Book" which was edited and published by Eugene Cummiskey, Philadelphia, Penn in 1871 - and based on this it is assumed to now be in the public domain.

It was included in books published in the 1930s (in The Ordinary of the Mass and Complete Manual of Hymns for Parochial Schools - from Public Press, Philadelphia, 1935 - and others), and there are reports of it being sung in the USA during the 1950s.

However the tune to which it was sung is unknown.

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Lyrics

Chorus:
Come, let us twine a wreath most rare,
To deck our May-day queen.
Composed of flowers fresh and fair.
With leaves of brightest green.

Mary, take the humble crown
Thy children twine for thee,
And from thy Heavenly throne smile down
In love and clemency.

Then search affection's garden through,
And cull the choicest gem,
All glistening bright with morning dew
To grace her diadem.

The rose, the bright and queenly rose,
The emblem of the love
That in our hearts most fondly glows,
A fitting type will prove.

The lily with its petals white,
From cankerous blights all free,
Unsullied in its lustre bright,
As Mary's child should be.

The violet with its soft blue eyes,
And perfume sweet, will be
An offering our Queen will prize
Of our humility.

Thus from our hearts' own garden bed
The choicest flowers we'll glean,
With loving hands to deck the head
Of May-day's beauteous Queen.

Thy subjects we are proud to be,
And fondly own thy sway;
Oh! may all hearts e'er bow to thee,
And hail thee Queen of May!