In this tyme a chyld was born
Words and Music:
Traditional English
(From MS. Sloan 2593, fol. 74, r0)
Source: Thomas Wright, Specimens of Old Christmas Carols Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (London: The Percy Society, 1841)
This carol requires the installation of the "Junicode" font for best display. You can obtain a copy of this font from Old English at the University of Virginia, or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer. See notes in F A Q.
Man, be glad in halle and bour,
This tyme wa born our savyour.
In this tyme a chyld was born,
To save tho sowl that wern for-lorn,
For us he werde garlond of thorn,
All it was for our honour.
The eytende day he was schorn,
To fulfylle the law that was be-forn,
Of meknesse he blew his born.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Good Fryday was don on rode,
The Jews spyltyn his herte blode,
Mary, his moder, be hym stode;
ȝe ben our help and our socour.
On Esterne Day he gan up ryse,
To techyn hem that wern on-wyse;
Jhesu, for ȝour woundes five,
ȝe ben our help and our socour.
On Halwyn Thursday he gan up steye
To his fader, that sit on heye;
Jhesu, for ȝour curteysye,
ȝe ben our help and our socour.
On Qwytsunday he gan doun sende
Wyt and wysdam us to a-mende;
Jhesu, bryng us to that ende,
With-outyn delay, our savyour!
Also found in Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols from a Manuscript in the British Museum of the Fifteenth Century (London: Printed by Richards for The Warton Club, 1856), Hymn LVI, pp. 77-78.
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