 |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XIV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXX. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXIX. | XXXIX. Reges de Saba venient,
Aurum, tus, myrram, offerent.
Alleluia. |
| XLIII. |
| XLV. |
| XLVI. |
| XLVII. |
| XLIX. |
| L. |
| LI. |
| LII. |
| LIII. |
| LIV. |
| LVI. |
| LVIII. |
| LIX. |
| LX. |
| LXI. |
| LXII. |
| LXIII. |
| LXIV. |
| LXVII. |
| LXIX. |
| LXXII. |
| LXXIV. |
 | Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century |  |
49
XXXIX. Reges de Saba venient,
Aurum, tus, myrram, offerent.
Alleluia.
Now is the twelthe day i-come,
The Fader and Sone togeder arn nome,
The Holy Gost, as they wern wone,
in fere.
God send us good newe ȝere.
The Fader and Sone togeder arn nome,
The Holy Gost, as they wern wone,
in fere.
God send us good newe ȝere.
I wil ȝou synge with al myn myȝt,
Of a chyld so fayr in syȝt,
A maydyn hym bar this ender nyȝt,
so stylle;
As it was his wylle.
Of a chyld so fayr in syȝt,
A maydyn hym bar this ender nyȝt,
so stylle;
As it was his wylle.
50
Thre kynges out of Galylie
Kemyn to Bedlem that ceté,
For to takyn in to that se,
be nyte;
It was a ful fayr syte.
Kemyn to Bedlem that ceté,
For to takyn in to that se,
be nyte;
It was a ful fayr syte.
As they keme forȝt with here offeryng,
They mette with Herowdes, that mody kyng;
He askyd hem of here comyng,
that tyde,
And thus to hem he seyde:
They mette with Herowdes, that mody kyng;
He askyd hem of here comyng,
that tyde,
And thus to hem he seyde:
“Fro qwens come ȝe, kynges thre?”
“Out of the est, as thou mayst se,
To sekyn hym that evere xal be,
throw ryte,
Lord and kyng of myte.”
“Out of the est, as thou mayst se,
To sekyn hym that evere xal be,
throw ryte,
Lord and kyng of myte.”
“Quan ȝe han at that kyng i-be,
Comit ageyn this weye be me,
And tel me the sytes that han se;
I praye,
ȝe gon non other waye.”
Comit ageyn this weye be me,
And tel me the sytes that han se;
I praye,
ȝe gon non other waye.”
Of Herowdys, that mody kyng,
He tokyn here leve, of eld and ȝyng;
And foth they wente with here offeryng
in syȝte,
And ther wey come be nyte.
He tokyn here leve, of eld and ȝyng;
51
in syȝte,
And ther wey come be nyte.
Quan they comyn into the plas
Ther Jhesu with his moder was,
Thei made offeryng with gret solas,
not ferre,
With gold, incens, and myrre.
Ther Jhesu with his moder was,
Thei made offeryng with gret solas,
not ferre,
With gold, incens, and myrre.
As they wern hom-ward i-went,
The Fader of hevene an aungyl sent
To tho thre kynges that made present,
or daye,
And thus to hem gan saye.
The Fader of hevene an aungyl sent
To tho thre kynges that made present,
or daye,
And thus to hem gan saye.
“My Lord haȝt warnyd ȝou of ȝour fon,
Be kyng Herowdes that ȝe not gon;
For if ȝe don, he wil ȝou slon,
and traye;
ȝe gon another waye.”
Be kyng Herowdes that ȝe not gon;
For if ȝe don, he wil ȝou slon,
and traye;
ȝe gon another waye.”
Quan they comyn hom to here cuntré,
Blythe and glad they wern alle thre
Of the sytes that they had se,
be nyte,
Jhesu and Mari bryte.
Blythe and glad they wern alle thre
Of the sytes that they had se,
be nyte,
Jhesu and Mari bryte.
52
With tresoun to us gan he sayn,
He trowid Jhesu to han slayn;
Into Egypt thei went ful playn,
be syde;
Josep was here gyde.
He trowid Jhesu to han slayn;
Into Egypt thei went ful playn,
be syde;
Josep was here gyde.
Into Bedlem thei gunne pas,
The sterre gan schynyn in here fas
Brytter than evere schon sunne in glas,
in londe,
Jhesu with Mari thei fonde.
The sterre gan schynyn in here fas
Brytter than evere schon sunne in glas,
in londe,
Jhesu with Mari thei fonde.
Kyng Herowdes he made his vow,
Gret plenté of chylderin he slow,
He wende ther xuld a be Jhesu;
I saye,
He falyid of his praye.
Gret plenté of chylderin he slow,
He wende ther xuld a be Jhesu;
I saye,
He falyid of his praye.
Herowdes was wod in ryalté;
He slow schylderin ryȝt gret plenté
In Bedlem, that fayre ceté,
with stryf;
Ne left he non on lyf.
He slow schylderin ryȝt gret plenté
In Bedlem, that fayre ceté,
with stryf;
Ne left he non on lyf.
The chylderin of Israel cryid “wa, wa!”
The moderis of Bedlem cryid “ba, ba!”
Herowdes low, and seyd, “a ha!
that qwede,
The kyng of Juwys is dede.”
The moderis of Bedlem cryid “ba, ba!”
53
that qwede,
The kyng of Juwys is dede.”
Almyty God in mangesté,
In on God personys thre,
Bryng us to the blysse that is so fre,
in fere;
And send us a good newe ȝere.
In on God personys thre,
Bryng us to the blysse that is so fre,
in fere;
And send us a good newe ȝere.
Reges de Saba venient, aurum, tus, mirra, offere[nt].
| Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century | |