Fifteenth century carols :: :: University of Virginia Library

X for cristys hym selfe was dyth
As clerkys redyn in story ryth
Qwan X and M wt word was lyth
To saue us fro ye fendys [feng]
M be gynnyth a gloryos name
Mary moder wt owtyn fane
Qwan X and M was borne in same
Oure goy be gynnyth to spreng

Of E I wyll syng [yer ȝete]
On cristys cross yt letre was sette
qwan X and E to geyir mette
M and E in herte was woo
I begynnyth ye name of Ion
qan̄ X upon ye rode was done
M and I stod styll alone
And hys postyllys went hym fro

yeis iiij letrys worchippe [?] we all
for crist was borne in ox stalle
to bryng us fro ye dewlys all
wt hys w[OMITTED]kles

[III]

[Nowell nowell ell ell]

Nowell nowell ell ell
I wys yt ys a wunder nowell

Jhesu restyd in a may
xl wekys and a day
yer fore I may syng and say
Nowell ell ell

At ye feste of architriclyn
Crist turnyd watyr in to wyn
And yer fore xalle yis song be myn
Nowell ell ell

Ihesu asse yu art hewyn kynge
Grawnt vus alle yi dere blyssynge
hosyll and schrift at owre endynge
Nowell ell ell

[IV]

[A A A A gaude cely domina]

A A A A
gaude cely domina

Mary myld for loue of ye
Glad and blythe now may we be
I ȝow telle os ȝe may see
Tua quinque gaudia

ye fyrst Ioy yt was sente ye
was qwan gabryelle gret ye
and seyd mary of chastite
Efficieris Grauida

ye second Ioy it was full good
qwan crist of ye toke flesch and blode
wt outyn synne wt myld mode
Enixa est puerpera

ye iij Ioy was of grette myth
qwan crist was on ye rode dyth
dede and beryd for oure ryyth
Surrexit die tersia

ye iiij Ioy was on [holy Thurs]day
qwan crist to hewyn toke ye way
God and man ys is oure say
Ascendit supra scidera

ye v Ioy in ye gan lyth
qwan yu were in hewyn wt him dyth
All holy chyrche yu hast in myth
In tua potencia

[V]

[A dere god qwat I am fayn]

A dere god qwat I am fayn
for I am madyn now gane

ys endyr day I mete a clerke
and he was wylly in hys werke
he prayd me wt hym to herke
and hys cownsell all for to lene

I trow he cowd of gramery
I xall now a good kyll wy
for qwat I hade sicculy
To warne hys wyll had I no may

qwan he and me browt nuus [?] ye schete
Of all hys wyll I hym lete
Now wyll not my gyrdyll met
a dere god qwat I xall say

I xall sey to man and page
yt I haue bene of pylgrymage
Now wyll I not lete for no rage
wt me a [?] clerk for to pley

[VI]

[A A A A salue caterina]

A A A A
salue caterina

lystyn lordyngys qwatte I xall sey
A grette maruell tell I may
Of a louely medyn tell I may
salue caterina

Of god grace sche was full wys
Sche was qweryd in hyr dewys
Of all dottys yt were so wys

Wundyr marwelys be godys grace
yr is no woman in yis plase
A woman is ye of grace

Thorow ye prayer of sent cataryne
God send us a hows twyl in
yt wordy lady and bryth and schene

Yr sche in fyre was done
Sche brent nere here nere hone
Sche stod in hewen anone

[VII]

[I may syng and sey I wys]

I may syng and sey I wys
Gre mercy my owne [purse]

In euery plas qwere yt I wende
My purse is my owne frende
yr for gladly may I syng
Gre mercy my own purse

Qwere so euer I goo in lond
My purse is redy at my hond
yr for yis is a redy song
vt supra

Qwere so I walke be ye way
My purse xall help me all vay
yr for may I syng and say
vt supra

If I be out in ye cuntre
And my purse be far fro me
yan̄ most I on beggyng fle
And far xall go and letyll xall haue

And ȝe wol wt fellechyp won
Tay ȝoure purse in ȝore bosom
yan may I well my song vowyn
[Gre mercy my own purse]

[X]

[Lollay lay lay lay my dere modyr lullay]

Lollay lay lay lay my dere modyr lullay
Lullay my chyld

A chyld ys born e wys
yt all yis word xall blys
hys joy xall neuer myse
for Ihesu ys hys name

On ye good ȝowe morne
ye blysfull chyld was borne
to were a crown of thorne
vt supra

Of a madyn so good
he toke both fleche and blod
for us he deyd up on ye rode
vt supra

Of a medyn so trew
he toke both fleche and hewe
for us he deyd on a tre
vt supra

on ye estern morn all blyth
he ros fro deth to lyue
to make us all blyth
vt supra

On ye good fryday at non
to ye deth he was done
for us he deyd on tre
vt supra

[XI]

[pray we to oure lady dere for here holy grace]

pray we to oure lady dere for here holy grace

Sche saw yeis women all bedene
both for sorow and for tene
Madys and wyuys and weduys in weme
all be yei fayre in face

Women be both good and hend
Clen curteys cumly and kend
Yche a cumpany is wele amende
yf a woman be in a plase

Of a woman com all oure blys
yr for I loue hem all I wys
qwo so euer seyth on hem amys
be god he gawyd in hys face

Were a man in sore syynge
A woman xall hym out bryng
And wt a kys lesse hys mornyng
and sette hym in solace

yies men arne falce fekyll in thoȝth
women be wood yt trow hem howt
for welle yie hote and hold it noth
but spek in here song

dere lady to yi son yu pray
he synd yeis women os he wylle may
for false men yt downe hym tray
yt yem sene he neuer in face

[XII]

[Now ys ye xij day com]

Now ys ye xij day com
Fadyr and son to gydyr wone
ye holy gost wt hem is nowme
in fere
God send us all a gud new ȝer

I xall ȝow syng thoro hys myȝht
Of a chyld yt is so fayr of syȝht
a mayd hym bare of cristynmes nyȝht
so styll
as ya was hys wyll

iij kyngys yr cum of galily
ye cum toward bedlem iude
hym to sek and to se
Be nyȝht
yt was a semly syȝht

As yei cum wt yer offryng
ye mete wt Erawd yt mody kyng
he hasked hem of here cummynge
yt syd
and yus tyll hem he sayd

fro qweyre cum ȝe kynges iij
owt of ye est as ȝe may se
to seke hym yt euer xall be
of myȝht
lord prince kyng and kniȝht

I pray ȝow lordys all iij
qwan ȝe haue yt chyld se
yt ȝe cum ageyn be me
and telythe
qwere yt fayr chyld dwellyth

kyng herawd we wyll not lete
as yu hast seyd yt xall be sete
we cum ageyn wt owte lete
and tell
qwer yt fayr chyld dwell

qwan he had seyde hys lykyng
Syr herawd yt mody kyng
and forth ye wente wt yr offryng
Be nyȝth
ye stere gaue hem lyȝht

be ye stere yt schon so bryȝht
ye iij kyngys tok wey ful ryȝht
Be ye hape of yt chyld so bryȝht
Thoro grace
to yt holy place

qwan yeie cum to holy place
yr Ihesu and hys moder was
yie offryd to hym wt grete solace
infer
golde encens and myrre

all yei wer both blythe and glade
qwan yei hade her offryng made
as ye holy gost hem bad
and dedyn
worschype god and redyn

qwen ye lordyngys wer wente
ye chyld an angell from hevyn sente
to ye kyngys yt mad presente
or day
to tech hem ye waye

my lord warnyth ȝow euery chone
yt non of ȝow be herowde gone
for yf ȝe don ȝe xall be slone
and stroy
and do ȝow mekyll noye

Thoro ye myȝht of god verrey
ye kyngys tokyn anodyr away
owt yei cum or yt was day
full ryȝht
home yei cum yt nyȝht

[XIII]

[fadyr my wyll yt is]

fadyr my wyll yt is
nolo mortem peccatoris

ffadyr I am yin owyn chylde
and born of mary meke and mylde
fadyr now my wyll yt is
nolo mortem peccatoris

My hert is sore qwan I be thynk
and se mene trespas and in syn synk
for all yt is done amyse
nolo mortem peccatoris

yu falce fend wt all yi slente
y wyll no more man kynde be schente
Of hem yu getyst no ryȝht ywys
vt supra

Now mak we both ioy and myrtht
In worschyp of cristys owyn byrtht
ys is goddys owyn word ywys
vt supra

[XIV]

[War yt war yt war yt wele]

War yt war yt war yt wele
Wemen be as trew as stele

Stel is gud I sey no odyr
So mowun wemen be kaymys brodyr
ylk on lere schrewdnes at odyr
wemen be os trew as stele

Stel is gud in euery knyfe
So kun ys women both flyte and stryfe
Also yei cun ful wele lye
wemen vt supra

Stele is gud in euery nedyll
So be ys wemen both falce and fekyll
and os yer a[OMITTED]wyne ryȝht brytyll
vt supra

Stele is both fayr and bryȝht
So be ys women be candyl lyȝht
And som wyll both flyte and fyȝht
vt supra

Stel is gud in lond and watyr
So cun ys women both den and flatyr
and ȝyt for ned to play ye faytur
vt supra

[XV]

[Ay ay be ys day]

Ay ay be ys day
y wyll mak mery qwyll y may

Qwyll mene haue her bornys full
yr of y thynk my parte to pull
for to[OMITTED]for ye kyngys wolle
yt may both selye and be my fey

for be yt werre or be yt pece
for we may yt be neuer ye les
lete hem sytte on ye hye dese
To serue hem in hys may

Me thynk ys word is wonder wery
and fadyth as ye brymbyll bery
yr for y wyll now but be mery
how long I xall y can not sey

Syrs and ȝe do after me
Car ȝe not thow yt ȝe the
Now y red do aftyr me
for Iak rekles is my name

[XVI]

[Now Ihesus rector anime]

Now Ihesus rector anime
ne cademus sustine

God yt all yis word has wroȝth
And wt precius blod hath both
Of us synfull men haue thoute
ne cademus sustine

yu arth lord yt mad all thyng
for all grace is in yi gouyrnyng
yu saue us fro ye fendys fowndyng
defensor noster domine

We haue iij enmys qwen yt we wende
ye werd ye fendys and ye flesch
yu saue us fro hem yt we not schende
Incidiantes deprime

In all ȝoure leue wyll are here
we haue here wo trauyll and care
mete drynke and cloth we haue no more
pro nostro graui opere

[XVII]

[Nowell]

Nowell
yis word is falce I dare wyll say
and man xall fade as dose hay
for as a flour it fallys away
tunc non ualebit corpore

tell me sothe qwo so canne
qwan he hys dede qwat is he than
qwere se ȝe eny ryche dede man
reuela mihi hodie

yu plesyst hym both nyth and day
and knele to serue hym wyll to pay
he may not hym a good word say
cum operitur puluere

hys secutourys wt oute lete
ȝow be myth[OMITTED]ouer sette
yei sey he ouyt so mykyll dette
non potest solui integre

qwan he is closyd in hys graue
yan is he yr he may not craue
Os he haue done so xall he haue
oblitus paruo tempore

And yr for man or yu hens wende
dele yi good wt yi honde
And thynke wyll dede man haue no frond
tu miserecis anime

lord ȝyf us grace so to do here
yt qwan we are broch on bere
yu take oure sole yt yu both dere
pendens alto arbore

and gyfe us grace so to spende
yt god yt yu on to us sende
yt we may sey at oure last end
laus summo regule

[XVIII]

[A newyr a newyr ye chyld was borne]

A newyr a newyr ye chyld was borne
fadyr of hewyn hys owyn son haue sende
hys [kyngdom] for to clemyn

ys chyld was borne yis endyr nyth
vus for to saue wt all is myth
so blyssyd be tyme a newyr

ye chyld was borne yis endys day
All of a clene madyn as ȝur tell may
so blyssyd [be] fadyr of hewyn tur

All of ane madyn our lord was borne
All for to wyn yt Adam had forlorn

Lullay my letyll chyld my own swete seynt
[Man]y scharp schourys xall yi body hent

lullay lay letyll chyld my own suete foode
how xall I suffyr yi fayre body forto be rent on rode

lullay lay letyll chyld we owth myrthys to make
for many scharp schoures xall yi body schake

lullay lay letyll chyld we out to mak myrth
And so out euery cristen man to worchyp yi byrth

blyssyd be ye modyr ye chyld bare about
And so be ye modyr ye chyld gaue soke

blyssyd be ye moder ye chyld cam to
Benedicamus domino
so blyssyd be ye tyme

[XIX]

[Nowell nowell ell ell]

Nowell nowell ell ell
I pray ȝow lystyn qwat I ȝow [tell]

Ouer all gatis that I haff gon
Amonge ye grovys so fayer and grene
So ffayer a brownch yan know I non
As Ivy ys and that I mene

Ivy ys grene and wyl be grene
Qwere so euer a grow in stok or ston
yer ffore I red ȝow so mut I cheue
ȝe loue well Ivy eueryschon

I xall ȝow tell a reson quy
ȝe xall low Ivy and thynk no chame
ye ffyrst lettre begynnyth wt I
and ryȝht ȝevyn so Ihesus name

ye secund lettre ys a V
I lykyn to Awmihty wyffe
Modyr sche ys and maydyn trewe
Non but on I yt euer bare lyffe

ye thred lettre is an e
I lykyn to emanuell
That is to sey cryst wt vus be
And euer more ffor to dwell

As I lay in my bed alone
A comely lady sent to me
And be bad me rede yeis lettrys eueryschon
and all ye bettre xuld I be

All how holy be ȝoure ffonn
And wilde [OMITTED] towch wt tray and tene
Me[OMITTED]of Yvy xall hym ouer gonne
And ffayer burdys ouer be twene

Ouer all gatys that I have gone
Among yeis grouys ffayer and grene
I have be wery son anon
My botte sche was yt Ivy tre

yus yus Ivy ffull ffayer I gan spelle
So ffayer a brawnch know I non
I pray ȝow tent qwat I ȝow tell
And love well Ivy eueryschon