Full Lyrics
I. Tryste Noël
1. The Ox he openeth wide the Doore,
And from the Snowe he calls her inne,
And he hath seen her smile therefor,
Our Ladye without sinne.
Now soone from sleepe
A starre shall lepe,
And soone arrive both King and Hinde:
Amen, Amen:
But O, the Place could I but finde.
2. The Ox hath hush'd his voyce and bent
Trewe eyes of pity o’er the Mow,
And on his lovelie Neck, forespent,
The Blessed lays her Browe.
Around her feet
Full warm and sweete
His bowerie breath doth meekly dwell:
Amen, Amen.
But sore am I with vaine travel.
3. The Ox is host in Judah stall
And host of more than only one,
For close she gathereth withal
Our Lord her lyttel Sonne.
Glad Hind and King
Their Gifts may bring,
But would tonight my teares were there,
Amen,
Between her bosom and His Hayre.
II. Joseph and the angel
III. So blyssid be the tyme
1. A newè year, a child was yborn
Us for to savyn that all was forlorn.
So blyssid be the tyme!
2. Lullay, lullay, lytel child,myn own dere food,
How shalt thou sufferin be maylid to the rood?
So blyssid be the tyme!
3. Lullay, lullay, lytel child,myn own dere smerte,
How shalt thou sufferin the scharpe spear to thi herte?
So blyssid be the tyme!
4. Lullay, lullay, lytel child, I singe al for thi sake,
Many a one the scharpe soar to thi body is shape
So blyssid be the tyme!
5. Lullay, lullay, lytel vchild, fayr happis thee befalle,
How shalt thou sufferin to drink ezel and galle?
So blyssid be the tyme!
6. Lullay, lullay, lytel child, I sing all beforn,
How shalt thou sufferin the scharpe garlong of thorn?
So blyssid be the tyme!
7. Lullay, lullay, lytel chlld, why weepy thou so sore?
Thou art bothin God and man, vhat woldest than be more?
So blyssid be the tyme!
IV. The King’s birthday
V. Christ was born on Christmas Day
VI. Lullay, lullay
1. . On yesternight
I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day,
And all along
I heard a song,
Lullay, lullay.
2. A lonely Mayden sat and sang,
And to her Child she spake
“Lullay, lullay, thou lytel child,
It makes my heart to ache
To see thee there,
So cold and bare,
A King upon this hay;
So hush thy wail,
I will not fail
To sing lullay, lullay."
3. Now sweetest Lord, since thou art King
Why liest thou in a stall?
Why didst thou not thy cradle bring
To some great royal hall?
Methinks 'tis right,
That king or knight
Should lie in good array;
And them among,
It were no wrong
To sing lullay, lullay."
4. "My Mother Mary, thine I be,
Though I be laid in stall,
Both lords and dukes shall worship me,
And so shall monarchs all:
Thou shalt well see
That princes three
Shall come on the twelfth day:
Then let me rest
Upon thy breast,
And sing lullay, lullay."
5. "Now tell me, sweetest Lord, I pray,
Thou art my love and dear,
How shall I nurse thee to thy mind,
And make thee glad of cheer?
For all thy will
I will fulfil,
I need no more to say,
And for all this
I will thee kiss,
And sing lullay, lullay,"
6. "My mother dear, when time it be,
Then take me up aloft,
And set me up upon thy knee,
And handle me full soft;
And in thy arm,
Thou wilt me warm,
And keep me night and day,
And if I weep,
And may not sleep,
Thou’lt sing lullay, lullay."
7. "Now, sweetest Lord, since it is so,
That thou art most of might,
I pray thee grant a boon to me,
If it be meet and right,
That child or man
That will or can,
Be merry on this day
To bliss them bring,
And I shall sing,
Lullay, lullay, lullay."
VII. The Angel Gabriel
The Angel Gabriel from God
Was sent to Galilee,
Unto a Virgin fair and free,
Whose name was called Mary.
And when the Angel thither came,
He fell down on his knee,
And looking up in the virgin's face,
Said, “Hail, all hail, Mary.”
R.:
Then, sing we all, both great and small,
Noel, Noel,
We may rejoice to hear the voice
Of Angel Gabriel.
2. Mary anon looked him upon,
And said, Sir, what are ye?
I marvel much at tidings such
As thou has brought to me.
Promised I am to Joseph,
So fell the lot to me:
Therefore, I pray depart away,
I stand in doubt of thee.”
R.
3. “Mary”, he said, “be not afraid,
And now believe in me,
The power of God, the Holy Ghost
Shall overshadow thee.
Thou shalt conceive but not to grieve,
As the Lord told to me;
God's own dear Son from heaven shall come,
And shall be born of thee".
R.
4. This came to pass as God's will was,
Even as the angel told.
About midnight an angel bright
Came to the shepherd’s fold,
And told them then both where and when
Born was the child our Lord,
And all along this was their song:
“All Glory be to God”.
R.
5. Good people all, both great and small,
The which do hear my voice,
With one accord let's praise the Lord,
And in our hearts rejoice;
In love abound to all around
While we our lifetime spend,
Whilse we have space let's pray for grace
So let me carol end.
R.
VIII. Myn lyking
1. I saw a fair mayden syttin and sing.
She lulled a lyttel childe, a sweetè lording.
R.: Lullay myn lyking, my dere sonne, my sweeting.
Lullay my dere herte, myn own dere derling.
2. That same Lord is he that made allè thing
Of allè lord is He is Lord of allè kynges Kyng.
R.
3. There was a mickle melody at that chylde’s birth.
All that were in heav’nly bliss, they made mickle mirth.
R.
4. Angels bright sang their song to that chyld;
Blyssid be thou, and so be she, so meek and so mild.
IX. I sing of a mayden
1. I sing of a mayden
That is makeless
The King of all kinges,
To her son she chose.
He came all so still
There his mother was,
As dew in April
That fall’th on the grass.
2. He came all so still
To his mother's bower,
As dew in April
That fall’th on the flower.
He came all so still
Where his mother lay,
As dew in April
That fall’th on the spray.
X. Regina caeli letare
1. Holy mayden blyssid thou be,
Godes sonne is born of thee,
The father of heaven worship we,
Regina caeli letare.
2. Hail wife, hail mayden, hail bride of bliss
Hail daughter, hail sister, full of pity,
Hail chosen to the personys three,
Regina caeli letare.
3. Thou art empress of heaven so free,
Worthy mayden in majesty,
New worship we the trenyty,
Regina caeli letare.
So gracious, so precious in reality,
Thus gentyl, thus good, thus finde we,
There is non such in non country,
Regina caeli letare.
5. And therefore kneel we down on our kenee,
This blyssid birth worshipe we,
This is a song of humility,
Regina caeli letare.
XI. When Christ was born of Mary free
XII. The New year
1. The old year now away is fled,
The new year it is entered;
Then let us all our sins down tread
And joyfully all appear.
2. Let's merry be this holiday,
And let us run with sport and play,
Leave sorrow, let's cast care away
God send you a happy new year.
3. And now with newyear's gifts each friend
Unto each other they do send;
God grant we may our lives amend,
And that truth may now appear.
4. Now like the snake cast off your skin
Of evil thoughts and wicked sin,
And to amend thisyear begin:
God send you a merry new year.
