The Dilly Song

One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so
     One God alone
Two two the lily white boys, dressed all in green ho ho
     Old and new testaments
Three three the rivals
     The holy trinity
Four for the Gospel makers

Five for the symbols at your door
     The painted symbol of the five senses of man
Six for the six brown walkers
     Brown walkers = proud workers: six working days
Seven for the seven stars in the sky
     The seven planets
Eight for the April rainers
     The eight souls that survived in the Ark
Nine for the nine bright shiners
     The nine orders of angels
Ten for the ten commandments

Eleven for the eleven that went to heaven
     Without Judas*
Twelve for the twelve apostles

*Or possibly the 11,000 virgins of St Ursula