The original 1849 transcriber stated that the words were "taken down from the lips of some of the children themselves" with the "sound of the words being the only guide to correct orthography". If these chidlren are singing in 1849 in English of a Welsh custom called "dwr newy" i.e. new water, then it makes sense in the context of these passages that Levy Dew is derived from "newy dwr" i.e. water new.