Jesus, You Are Welcome
Words and Music:
14th c. Limburg,
Netherlands,
Translation by Bertram Sluys. © 2005 Bertram Sluys
To purchase a copy of the sheet
music, contact sluysoflife at sbcglobal dot net
1.
Jesus, You are welcome here with us today.
You came to earth from heaven on Christmas day.
Jesus, You are welcome now to stay with us again.
In our sinful hearts, give us mercy, come and reign. Kyrieleis.*
2. “Christ
have mercy on us”, we together sing.
For what You’ve done to save us our praise we bring.
You were born on Christmas, God among us here to be.
Bringing us salvation, from sin to set us free. Kyrieleis.*
3.
Shepherds in the fields heard angels’ words of cheer.
They could not understand it: they shook with fear.
“Go and find your Savior,” said the angel in the skies.
“Leave your sheep to seek him: in Bethlehem he lies.” Kyrieleis.*
4. Wise
men came to seek him from a distant land.
To give their richest treasure was what they planned.
Placing gold and frankincense and myrrh before their King,
Love and adoration, the best of gifts to bring. Kyrieleis.*
* - or have mercy, Lord.
Verses in Dutch:
1. Nu
zijt wellekome, Jesu, lieve Heer.
Gij komt van also hoge, van alzo veer.
Nu zijt wellekome van den hogen hemel neer.
Hier, al in dit aardrijk zijt Gij gezien nooit meer. Kyrieleis.
2.
Christe Kyrieleison, laat ons zingen blij.
Daarmee ook onze leisen beginnen vrij.
Jesus is geboren op de heilige kerstnacht.
Van een maged reine, die hoog moet zijn geact. Kyrieleis.
3.
d'Heerders op den velde hoorden een nieuw lied,
Dat Jesus was geboren ze wisten't niet.
Gaat aan geender straten, en gij zult hem vinden klaar,
Bethlem is de stede, daar is't geschied vorwaar. Kyrieleis.
4.
d'Heilige drie Koningen uit zo verre land,
Zij zochten onzen Heere met offerhand.
Zij offerden onmoedelijk myrrh, wierook ende goud.
t'Eeren van dat Kinde, dat alle ding behoudt. Kyrieleis.
Notes from Bertram Sluys:
This is a new translation of the Dutch Christmas carol “Nu Zijt Wellekome”. Most sources claim it came out of the Dutch province of Limburg in the 14th century. In 1825 Chr. Quix mentioned that this song was sung in the Münsterkirche in Aachen in the 13th century. There is no proof of this; however, we do know that by the 14th century the words were being used to a Gregorian chant. The current melody was probably written in the 16th century as it appeared in some Catholic music collections in 1605 and 1615. They were put together in Salomon Theodotus’ music book “Paradys der Gheestelycke en Kerckelycke Lofsangen” in 1621. While this is often treated as a children’s song in the Netherlands today, it also works well for congregational singing.
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