Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming

For Christmas

Version 1

Words: Stanzas 1-2, Es ist ein Reis entsprungen, 15th Century German carol,
Translated by Theodore Baker, 1894.
Stanzas 3-4, Friedrich Layritz (1808-1859)
Translated by Harried Reynolds Kraugh (1845-1925)
See Notes on Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming

Music: Es Ist Ein Ros, Anonymous, 16th Century
(Arr. by Michael Praetorius, 1609)
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML
Meter: 76 76 676
Sheet music available at RoDeby Music Company

The German words are a paraphrase of the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, verse 1:
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots."

1. Lo, how a rose e'er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung!
From Jesse’s lineage coming,¹
As men of old have sung.²

It came, a floweret bright,³
Amid the cold of winter
When half spent was the night

2. Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin mother kind

To show God's love aright,⁴
She bore to us a Savior⁵
When half spent was the night

3. The shepherds heard the story
Proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of Glory
Was born on earth this night.

To Bethlehem they sped
And in the manger they found him,
As angels heralds said.

4. This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;

True man, yet very God,
From Sin and death he saves us,
And lightens every load.

Alternate 3^rd and 4^th verses, O. Hardwig, ed., The Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #95:

3. O sweetest Flower, I Love Thee!
A light pure and divine
In beauty shine above me,
Fill Thou my heart’s deep shrine!

All darkness drive away,
Save me from sin and sorrow,
Let me be blest for aye!

4. O sweetest Flower, I love Thee!
A light pure and divine,
In beauty shine above me,
Fill thou my heart's deep shrine!

    All darkness drive away,
    Save me from sin and sorrow,
        Let me be blest for aye!

Citing as the source: Trier Gesangbuch, noting that verses 1 in this version is "composite," and verse 4 translated by H. Brueckner. It is not stated who translated verses 2 & 3.

Notes

1. Or: Of Jesse's race coming. Return

2. Or: As those of old have sung. Also, As seers of old have sung. Return

3. Or: It came a blossom bright. Return

4. Or: To shew God's love aright. Return

5. Or: She bore to men a Savior. Return

Sheet Music from O. Hardwig, ed., The Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #95

See A Garritan Community Christmas for MP3s:
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming, Jim Hammer
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, Kevin Selby

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.

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