Puer Natus in Bethlehem
For Christmas
Words: Latin, Probably of the XVth Century, found in Piae Cantiones, 1582.
Music: Melody, 1543
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Mixed Setting for Choir from Bruno Antonio Buike, Neuss/Germany
(opens in a new window at Bruno's site)
Source: J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), # 57, p. 89.
1. Puer natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia.
Unde gaudet Jerusalem. Alleluia.
2. Hic jacet in præsepio, Alleluia.
Qui regnat sine termino. Alleluia.
3. Cognovit bos et asinus, Alleluia.
Quod puer erat Dominus. Alleluia.
4. Reges de Sabâ veniunt, Alleluia.
Aurum, thus, myrrhum offerunt. Alleluia.
5. Intrantes domum invicem, Alleluia.
Novum salutant principem. Alleluia.
6. De matre natus virgine, Alleluia.
Sine virili semine; Alleluia.
7. Sine serpentis vulnere, Alleluia.
De nostro venit sanguine; Alleluia.
8. In carne nobis similis, Alleluia.
Peccato sed dissimilis; Alleluia.
9. Ut redderet nos homines, Alleluia.
Deo et sibi similes. Alleluia.
10. In hoc natali gaudio, Alleluia.
Benedicamus Domino: Alleluia.
11. Laudetur sancta Trinitas, Alleluia.
Deo dicamus gratias. Alleluia.
English Translations include:
A Babe is Born in Bethlehem - Version 1: Krauth Translation
A Babe is Born in Bethlehem - Version 2: Schaff Translation
A Boy is Born in Bethlehem - Translator Unknown
A Child is Born in Bethlehem - Version 1 :Translator Unknown
A Child is Born in Bethlehem - Version 2: MacGill Translation
A Child is Born in Bethlehem - Version 3: Translation from Danish (Translation by Grundtvig) Into English; Translator Unknown
Et Barn Er Født I Betlehem - Grundtvig Translation From Latin Into Danish
The Child Is Born In Bethlehem - Translator Not Stated
Zion Is Glad This Glorious Morn - John Brownlie Translation
Sheet Music and Text from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), # 57, p. 89.
"Original Melody.
Harmony altered from Dr. Layriz"
This is one of many carols found in the 1582 Finnish Collection, Piae Cantiones:
Sources of Latin hymns found in Piae Cantiones:
Guido Maria Dreves and Clemens Blume, eds., Analecta Hymnica Medii Aevi, Vol. 1. Cantiones Bohemicae. (Leipzig: O. R. Reisland, 1886).
Guido Maria Dreves and Clemens Blume, eds., Analecta Hymnica Medii Aevi, Vol. 45b. Cantiones et Motetten des Mittelalters. (Leipzig: O. R. Reisland, 1904).
G. E. Klemming, ed., Piae Cantiones. S. Trinitas. Iesus Christus. S. Spiritus. S Maria. (1886). Primary source for many scholars, including Dreves, Woodward and others.
George Ratcliffe Woodward, Piae Cantiones: A Collection of Church & School Song, chiefly Ancient Swedish, originally published in A.D. 1582 by Theodoric Petri of Hyland. (London: Chiswick Press for the Plainsong & Medieval Music Society, 1910).
Sheet music for some hymns can be found in George Ratcliffe Woodward, The Cowley Carol Book, First & Second Series. Table Of Contents. (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., ca. 1902, 1912).
Translations of some carols can be found in John Mason Neale and Thomas Helmore, eds., Carols for Christmas-tide (London: Novello, 1853). By the same authors was Carols for Easter-tide (1854).
Translations and sheet music for some hymns can be found in Charles L. Hutchins, ed., Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916).
Scans of individual pages from Piæ Cantiones (in the Adobe PDF format) can be downloaded from Facsimiles Piae Cantiones (http://www.spielleut.de/facs_piae_cantiones.htm; accessed June 15, 2009).
