Glad Christmas Tide Is Come Once More

"The Carol of the Yule Log"

For Christmas

Words: William Chatterton Dix (1837-1865)
"Sedding’s Carols."

Music: "Melody A.D. 1642, Ashmolean Library."

Source: W. Chatterton Dix, ed., Christmas Carols & Christmas Customs (No publisher, location or date; ca. 1870), #1, p. 1.

1.Glad Christmas Tide is come once more,
    Now let us all be merry,
Each room is bright this happy night,
    With fir and box and berry.

Chorus—
Joy ! Joy ! the Prince is born,
    the Babe of babes, the Star of Morn ;
Joy ! Joy! the King is born,
    in Bethlehem of Jewry.

2. Bring in the Log this Blessed Yule,
    And send the sparks a-flying ;
What time they rise, our cares and sighs,
    Our sorrows shall be dying.

Chorus—
Joy! Joy! no more is heard the patient
    Worthy’s wailing word,¹
Peace ! Peace ! our Joy is born
    in Bethlehem of Jewry.

3. A right good strain send up aloft,
    And set the roof-tree ringing,
With cold and rime God gives the time
    For merriment and singing.

Chorus—
Joy! Joy! the Mighty One,
    the Light of Light, the Virgin's Son,
Joy ! Joy ! our Lord is born
    in Bethlehem of Jewry.

Note from Dix:

1. Job 5:7. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." (KJV) Return

Editor's Note:

The British Library, Google Books, and Worldcat.org all give the date as circa 1870.

The reference to "Sedding's Carols" is not explained, nor is the reference to "Melody A.D. 1642, Ashmolean Library."   However, the reference to Sedding is almost certainly to Edmund Sedding (1836-1868), who published three sets of "Antient Christmas Carols." Only the second of the three series has been scanned and released. See: Antient Carols for Christmas and Other Tides Arranged For Four Voices. Interestingly, the last carol in the third series (1864) is described as "Yule-log Carol."

It is certainly possible that Dix was acquainted with Sedding, as Sedding was for a time precentor of the church of St. Raphael the Archangel, Bristol, the city where Dix was born.

This is the only carol under "Part I. A Brief Dissertation on Christmas Customs and Christmas Carols."

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