Love

Where have you been all the day

by Anonymous (English nursery rhymes) traditional; recorded 17th–19th century

From The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected by J. O. Halliwell (London: Warne; first ed. 1842; this printing 1886)

Love

"Where have you been all the day,
My boy Willy?"
"I've been all the day,
Courting of a lady gay:
But oh! she's too young
To be taken from her mammy."

"What work can she do,
My boy Willy?
Can she bake and can she brew,
My boy Willy?"
"She can brew and she can bake,
And she can make our wedding cake:
But oh! she's too young
To be taken from her mammy."

"What age may she be? What age may she be?
My boy Willy?"
"Twice two, twice seven,
Twice ten twice eleven:
But oh! she's too young
To be taken from her mammy."

✦ ✦ ✦

Halliwell's class: Love and Matrimony.

MLA

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “Where have you been all the day.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/441/.

Chicago

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “Where have you been all the day.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/441/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Anonymous (English nursery rhymes)