The Queen o' May Lyrics
The Queen o' May holds court, but the fields have nothing to give her and her maids shiver in their best dresses. She tells them not to sneeze, to warm their knees and to look for daisies, and says the air will be soft unless it snows. The boys tease, then May arrives and everyone laughs.
The Queen o' May
The Queen o' May
Held court one day, -
The fields had nought to give her;
All in their best
Her maids were drest,
And they began to shiver.
"Now, never sneeze,
But warm your knees,
And look for daisies growing;
You'll find the air
Quite soft and fair,
Unless it fall a-snowing."
"Quite soft!" they said,
Each loyal maid.
"So fair!" the boys went chaffing;
But soon the May
Came down that way,
And set them all a-laughing.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-queen-o-may/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Mary Mapes Dodge
- Tune
- A lilting waltz-like beat, with a shiver in the second verse and a laugh at the end
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| And they began to shiver. | Wrap your arms around yourself and shiver. |
| But warm your knees, | Rub your hands over your knees. |
What Does The Queen o' May Mean?
The joke of this poem is a chilly May. The Queen o' May holds court, which means she sits like a queen receiving her people, but the fields had nought to give her (nought is an old word for nothing). Her maids are dressed in their best and shiver. The queen's advice is cheerful and a little silly: never sneeze, warm your knees, and look for daisies, because the air will be soft and fair unless it fall a-snowing.
The maids cry Quite soft! and the boys go chaffing, which means teasing and joking, with So fair!. The ending is quick: soon the May came down that way and set them all a-laughing. The poem does not say what the laughter is about. It stays light, with a spring that is late and shivery and a crowd that decides to laugh about it.
History and Origin
Mary Mapes Dodge's 1874 book of children's verse holds this chilly-spring poem.
Learning Activities
- Hold court: let the child sit on a cushion throne and give silly advice to toy subjects.
- Daisy look: on a spring walk, look for the first daisies or any flower, and count how many you spot.
- Shiver and warm: act out the shivering verse, then the warming-up verse with rubbing hands.
- Weather talk: ask what the weather is like today and what you would wear to hold court in it.