1. For the traditional English melody, see The Cambridge Hymnal, edited by David Holbrook and Elizabeth Poston (Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1967), pp. 236-37. The account of the visit of the shepherds to the Christ child is found in Luke 2:8-20. A fuller history of this carol is in The New Oxford Book of Carols, ed. Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 527. See also Notes to God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. Return

2. Or: 'Remember Christ our Savior,' Or 'For Jesus Christ our Saviour…' (Bramley and Stainer, ca. 1860s).

3. Or 'Was born on Christmas Day;' Or 'Was born 'upon this day' Return

4. An alternate chorus, which frequently occurs in modern versions (from Bramley & Stainer):

O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.

5. Jury: Jewry, the land of the Israelites. Sylvestre gives "Jewry." Return

6. Or: In Bethlehem, 'in Israel,' this blessed Babe was born Return

7. Or: 'Nothing did take in scorn.' (Bramley and Stainer) Return

8. Or: This day is born a Savior, Of 'a pure Virgin bright,' Return

9. Or: 'So frequently to vanish all the friends of Satan quite.' Or: 'To free all those who trust in Him, From Satan’s power and might' (Bramley and Stainer). Instead of 'friends', the original word may have been 'fiends.' Return

10. Or: And went to 'Bethl’em straightaway,' This blessed babe to find:
Or: 'The Son of God to find' (Bramley and Stainer, and Sylvester). Return

11. Or: 'And when they came to Bethlehem …' (Bramley and Stainer).
Or: 'Whereat' this infant lay
Or: 'where our dear Savior lay,'
Return

12. Or: His mother Mary kneeling 'down,' (Bramley and Stainer) Return

13. The seventh and ninth verses are a later addition. They do not appear in Sandys (1833), Sylvestre (1861), Bramley & Stainer, First Series (1860s), Bullen (1885), or Rickert (1910). Ian Bradley, in The Penguin Book of Carols (London: Penguin, 1999), states that the ninth came from a broadside. Both are found in the Husk version. Husk only includes the first line of the chorus, above. Return

14. Or: This holy tide of Christmas, 'all other doth deface' (Bramley and Stainer) Return

The sheet music below is from Bramley and Stainer, Christmas Carols - New And Old, First Series. London: Novello & Co., no date, but likely in the 1860s.
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Sheet Music from William Sandys, ed., Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern. London: Richard Beckley, 1833, pp. 102-103.

Sheet Music from Edward F. Rimbault, A Little Book of Christmas Carols. London: Cramer, Beale & Co., 201, Regent Street, No Date (circa 1863).

Ancient Version, as sung in the streets of London
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Ancient Version, as sung in Cornwall
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Sheet Music from Rev. Richard R. Chope, Carols For Use In Church. London: William Clowes & Sons, 1894, Carol #10, First Tune; Traditional, Harmonies by Rev. W. D. V. Duncombe
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Sheet Music from Rev. Richard R. Chope, Carols For Use In Church. London: William Clowes & Sons, 1894, Carol #10, Second Tune; Altered, Harmonies by Mr. H. S. Irons
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Sheet Music from William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity. London: John Camden Hotten, 1868.
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The sheet music below is by L. H. Redner from Charles L. Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New. Boston: The Parish Choir, 1918, Carol 509
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The sheet music below is the first "traditional" setting, from Charles L. Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New, Carol 722
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The sheet music below is the second "traditional" setting, from Charles L. Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New, Carol 723
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First and Second Settings from Martin Shaw and Percy Dearmer, The English Carol Book, First Series. London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., 1913.
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Cecil J. Sharp, English Folk-Carols. London: Novello & Co., Ltd., 1911, pp. 13-6.
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Sheet Music from Richard R. Terry, Gilbert and Sandys' Christmas Carols. London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., 1931.
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Traditional Melody, According to Terry, Gilbert and Sandys' Christmas Carols.
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Version 1, "The popular version of the Tune"
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Version 2, "Variant of the tune was formerly popular in Cornwall"
(From a Setting, Harmony and Melody, in a M.S., c. 1845)
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Public Domain Recording:

• LibriVox Christmas Carol Collection 2006 (Recording by Diyan)

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol:

"Foggier yet, and colder! Piercing, searching, biting cold. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. The owner of one scant young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, stooped down at Scrooge's keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol: but at the first sound of --

"God bless you, merry gentleman! May nothing you dismay!"

"Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost."

Also found in Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p. 105 and Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer, Christmas Carols New and Old (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1871).

Also found in A. H. Bullen, A Christmas Garland (London: John C. Nimmo, 1885), pp. 40-42. He notes that this is "The most popular of Christmas carols." He also notes, at page 254, that "The comma, by a curious oversight, has been misplaced. It should stand before, not after, the word 'merry.'"

Bullen is almost alone in this assertion; most modern sources place the comma after the word "merry."

Editor's Note:

Instrumental sheet music to this and 12 other carols may be downloaded from Sally DeFord Music, http://www.defordmusic.com/carolsforpiano.htm (site accessed September 30, 2006). An MP3 of this arrangement is also available at that page.