(p. 1)
"Amid the deep white winter snow,
Sleeps Mossflow'r until spring,
While snug in Cavern Hole below,
All Redwall's creatures sing.
Old autumn gave us plenty,
Our harvest did not fail,
No plate or jug is empty,
There's good October ale."
**********
Originally sung by Martin (p. 14)
"See the roving river run
Over hill and dale
To a secret forest place,
O my heart, Noonvale.
Look for me at dawning
When the sun's reborn
In the silent beauty
Twixt the night and morn.
Wait till the lark ascends
And the skies are blue.
There where the rainbow ends
I will meet you."
**********
Sung by Keyla (p. 41)
"I know a mouse called Martin,
And a young un who's named Brome,
Captured by some vermin scouts
As he strayed from his home.
So if you're out there list'ning,
I'll pause awhile and wait,
For I've been singing half the night
On this side of the gate."
Response sang by Rose
"My name is Rose of Noonvale,
The tribe of Urran Voh,
My only brother is called Brome,
And Martin's name I know.
We're here so we can help them,
So please, friend tell to me
What we can do to aid those two
And try to set them free!"
Sung back by Keyla
"A vermin guard approaches.
Quick, get yourselves from sight.
I'll try to get back to you
This time tomorrow night!"
Made up song by Keyla when confronted by vermin guard (p. 42-43)
"O spirit of the seasons
Who rules the land and sea,
From crabby claws and runny snouts,
Good spirit, keep us free.
From tummy ache, soretail, and sniffs
From grunge and whisker cramp,
From wobbly paws and flurgy twinj,
O keep this all from camp.
Sung by Brome the next night (p. 51)
"In the middle of the gate set your faces.
Oh, I'm dying of the fever!
Walk to the south about twenty paces.
It's a terrible thing this fever!
There are three of us in this awful pit.
The fever, the fever!
As deep as three mice and a bit.
I'm goin' to die of the fever!
We need the paws of a good old chum.
The fever, the fever!
I know that you can do it Grumm,
Don't let me die of the fever!
**********
Sung by Grumm (p. 55)
Luck to oi, an' every mole,
As ever went to dig an 'ole.
Tunnel gudd for all oi'm wurth.
Mole be best when diggen urth."
**********
Sung by the Rambling Rosehip Players (p. 88)
"Oh, we're the Rambling Rosehip Players,
And we please both old and young.
O'er field serene and forest green
Our praises have been sung.
We're the Rambling Rosehip Players,
And we'll take on any part,
Bring a tear to your eye to make you cry
Or joy to the saddest heart.
Though the road may be tough and the patch run rough
And the weather be cold or gray,
With a smile and a song, we'll travel along
On our Rambling Rosehip way. Hey!"
**********
Sung by Ballaw (p. 91)
"Bobble O Bobble O Bobble O,
If you know tell me where I do grow.
High above the lowly earth,
And yet I flourish for all I'm worth.
Bobble O Bobble O Bobble O,
Tell me now if you think you know.
I hang between the earth and the sky,
Green or brown as the seasons pass by
As around me all the birds do fly,
And just before winter away go I.
Bobble O Bobble O Bobble O-ohhhh
Tell me true, I'd like you to try!"
**********
Sung by Pallum (p. 101)
"Go to sleep, you filthy bunch.
I'd love to lay you all out with a punch.
How'd you win a mother's heart
With a squiggly trunk like an eel's back part?
Is that awful smell the reason?
You haven't been washed all season.
So go to sleep in your scruffy beds.
May nightmares enter your beastly heads,
And when sunlight heralds the new daybreak
May you wake with a tummy ache."
Sung by Grumm (p. 101)
"You'm a dreadful 'orrble crew
An' I uddent give to you
Supper nor dnner, brekfis' nor tea,
Oi'd spank the dayloights out of 'ee.
And oi'd make 'ee wash ten toimes each day.
'Til you'm bad manners wurr scrubbed away."
**********
Note from Polleekin (p. 133)
"Follow your frontshadow, do not stop
Till you reach the one with dead three top.
See the twin paths, beware of one
Sweet as the spreading atop of a scone.
Camp close by night, watch out by day
For the three-eyed one who bars the way.
More you will not learn until
Meeting the warden of Marshwood Hill."
Rose's Farewell song to Polleekin (p. 133-134)
"Goodbye, my friend, and thank you, thank you, thank you
It makes me sad to leave you upon this summer day.
Don't shed a tear or cry now. Goodbye now, goodbye now.
I'm sure I'll see you somehow, if I pass this way,
For the seasons don't foretell
Who must stay or say farewell,
And I must find out what llies beyond this place.
But I know deep in my heart
We are never far apart
While I have a mem'ry of your smiling face.
Goodbye, my friend and thank you, thank you, thank you,
Your kindness guides me ever as I go on my way."
**********
Sung by Ballaw (p. 139)
"When's a stoat not a stoat?
When he wears clogs and a velvet coat!
When's a stoat an old seadog?
When he's whiskery friskery attery biskery Cap'n Tramun Clogg!"
**********
Rose singing to the bees (p. 152)
"You will find me at Noonvale on the side of a hill
When the summer is peaceful and high,
There where streamlets meander the valley is still,
'Neath the blue of a calm cloudless sky..."
"Look for me at dawning when the earth is asleep.
Till each dewdrop is kissed by the day,
'Neath the rowan and alder a vigil I'll keep,
Ever moment that you are away..."
"The old earth gently turns as the seasons change slowly.
All the flowers and leaves born to wane.
Hear my song o'er the lea, like the wind soft and lowly.
Oh, please come back to Noonvale again."
**********
Sung by Rowanoak to the Rambling Rosehip Players while they were leaving
(p. 159)
"I think we'll call it a day,
Back to the cart I say.
It's exit left without any pay.
We'd be better off far away!"
**********
Fescue's grace (p. 168)
"For all we receive for tea,
Thanks to the seasons be.
Partake we sparingly
Of this good meal."
**********
Sung by Rose in the Marsh (p. 200)
"O happy is as happy does,
Misery never useful was,
And I am happy now because
I'm with the ones I love.
Sing fol lol loh a lairy lay,
Let the sun shine bright all day,
So I'll go happy on my way
With the good ones that I love.
O fie n you, O great disgrace,
Look at that sad unhappy face,
I'll not walk with you, not one pace,
Your not the one I love.
Sing dumble dum and derry dee,
You'll have to smile to come with me,
Till happiness doth let you see
You're the one that I love!"
Sung by Grumm while dancing (p. 201)
"Naow Granfer were a pow'ful mole
Scratch a tunnel dig an 'ole,
The moightiest eater, so oi'm tole,
In all of all 'ee wuddlands.
You'm should've seen him eaten cake.
Granmum said fer gudness sake,
Oi'll start 'ee oven up to bake
An' twelveteen cakes oi'll make.
If Granfer ate wun, him ate two,
Ho dearie me, oi'm tellen you,
Him ate those twelveteen cakes roight throo,
Then went asleep till zummer.
An' when 'ee zummer sun did break,
My ole granfer came awake,
The gudd ole beast drinked all 'ee lake
An' left 'ee fishes sobbin'
Him'n story as oi've toald to you,
Oi swears as every wurd be troo,
Iffen you'm think oi tole fibs to you,
Then go an' arsk 'ee fishes!"
**********
Pallum's song (p. 236-237)
"Oh, the hedgehog is a fine old beast,
All covered o'er with needles,
Not smooth, on no, like some I know,
Ells an' fish an' beetles.
Some creatures calls us hedgepigs,
An' others says hedgedogs,
But I do know that frogs is frogs,
An' hedgehogs is hedge hogs!"
**********
Hoopoe's song (p. 247)
"Hey, give me cake and bring me ale,
And pudding ripe with plums,
Some cider, dear, so cool and clear,
To swill round teeth and gums,
Some round and golden mellow cheese,
And light brown nutbread, if you please,
With honey made by happy bees,
And I will be contented.
O fie the creature with long face
Who nibbles small and can't keep pace
With tartest filled full breadfruit
And meadowcream to boot,
Or soup with pepper and hotroot,
And burdock ale to quench it.
Oh, eat up, neighbour, drink up, friend,
May good fortune have no end.
Success to all that you intend,
And leave the pots till morning!"
**********
Otter song (p. 280)
"Oh, the Broadstream comes from who knows where,
It flows to who knows whither,
And I sail with it here an' there,
Wand'rin' yon an' hither.
The place of waters is my home,
For I'm a fearless rover.
Through calm an' storm I'm bound to roam,
Until my days are over.
Roll, roll and flow, and let the seasons gooooooooo."
**********
Moles' Song from Noonvale (p. 315)
"Give 'ee, give you, give time'n give oi,
Turnip 'n' tater 'n' beetroot poi,
Gurt platters each morn, an' more at 'ee noight,
Fill oi a bowlful, et tasters jus' roight.
An' iffen 'ee infant wakes, starten to croi,
Feed 'im turnip 'n' tater 'n' beetroot poi.
Et's gudd furr 'ee stummick, et's good furr' ee jaws,
Makes' em grow oop with big strong diggen claws.
Nought gives us molers more pleasure 'n' joy
Than turnip 'n' tater 'n' beatroot poi!"