 | Specimens of old Christmas carols, selected from manuscripts and printed books |  |
23
XVII.
[Now ys Crystemas y-cum]
Now ys Crystemas y-cum,
Fadyr and son togedyr in oon,
Holy Goste, as ye be oon,
in fere-a,
God sende us a good n[e]w yere-a.
Fadyr and son togedyr in oon,
Holy Goste, as ye be oon,
in fere-a,
God sende us a good n[e]w yere-a.
I wolde yow synge for and I mygȝhgt,
Off a chylde ys fayre in syghgȝt,
Hys modyr hym bare thys yndyrs nyghȝt
so stylle-a,
And as yt was hys wylle-a.
Off a chylde ys fayre in syghgȝt,
Hys modyr hym bare thys yndyrs nyghȝt
so stylle-a,
And as yt was hys wylle-a.
24
There cam .iij. kynges fro Galylee
Into Bethleem that fayre cytee,
To seke hym that ever shulde be
by ryghȝt-a
Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a.
Into Bethleem that fayre cytee,
To seke hym that ever shulde be
by ryghȝt-a
Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a.
As they cam forth with there offrynge,
They met with Herode that mody kynge,
thys tyde-a,
And thys to them he sayde-a.
They met with Herode that mody kynge,
thys tyde-a,
And thys to them he sayde-a.
“Off wens be ye, yow kynges .iij.?”
“Off the Este, as ye may see,
To seke hym that ever shulde be
by ryghgȝt-a
Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a.”
“Off the Este, as ye may see,
To seke hym that ever shulde be
by ryghgȝt-a
Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a.”
“Wen yow at thys chylde have be,
Cum home aȝeyne by me,
Telle me the syghȝtes that yow have see,
I praye yow;
Go yow no nodyr way-a.”
Cum home aȝeyne by me,
Telle me the syghȝtes that yow have see,
I praye yow;
Go yow no nodyr way-a.”
They toke her leve both olde and yonge
Off Herode that mody kynge;
They went forth with there offrynge
by lyghȝth-a,
By the sterre that shoone so bryghȝt-a.
Off Herode that mody kynge;
They went forth with there offrynge
by lyghȝth-a,
By the sterre that shoone so bryghȝt-a.
Tyll they cam in to the place
There Jhesu and hys modyr was,
Offryd they up with grete solace
in fere-a
Golde and sence and myrre-a.
There Jhesu and hys modyr was,
25
in fere-a
Golde and sence and myrre-a.
The fadyr of hevyn an awngylle down sent,
To thyke .iij. kynges that made presente
thys tyde-a,
And thys to them he sayd-a.
To thyke .iij. kynges that made presente
thys tyde-a,
And thys to them he sayd-a.
“My lorde have warnyd yow everychone,
By Herode kynge yow go not home;
For and yow do, he wylle you slone
and strye-a,
And hurte yow wondyrly-a.”
By Herode kynge yow go not home;
For and yow do, he wylle you slone
and strye-a,
And hurte yow wondyrly-a.”
Forth them wente thys kynges .iij.,
Tylle they cam home to there cuntré.
Glade and blyth they were alle .iij.
Off the syghȝtes that they had see,
by-dene-a,
The cumpany was clene-a.
Tylle they cam home to there cuntré.
Glade and blyth they were alle .iij.
Off the syghȝtes that they had see,
by-dene-a,
The cumpany was clene-a.
Knele we now here a-down,
Pray we in good devocioun
To the kynge of grete renown,
of grace-a,
In hevyn to have a place-a.
Pray we in good devocioun
To the kynge of grete renown,
of grace-a,
In hevyn to have a place-a.
| Specimens of old Christmas carols, selected from manuscripts and printed books | |