The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

Lordes & ladyes all by dene

A new caroll of our lady

For The Annunciation

Source: Edward Bliss Reed, ed., Christmas Carols Printed in the 16th Century Including Kele's Christmas Carolles Newly Inprynted. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1932).

This carol requires the installation of the "Old Blacketter" font for best display.

In a Middle English font: Lordes and ladyes all by dene

Compare:
Lordes and ladyes all by dene - Reed

Lordes and Ladyes All By Dene - Sandys
A New Carol of Our Lady - Rickert

Nowell Nowell Nowell Nowell

This ~ayd the aungell Gabryell.

Lordes & ladyes all by dene

For your goodnes & honour

I wyll you ~ynge all of a quene

Of all women ~he is the floure

    Nowell. &c.

 

Of Je~~e there ~prange a wyght

I~ay ~ayd by prophe~y

Of whome ~hall com a man of myght

From dethe to lyfe he wyll vs bye

    Nowell. &c.

 

There cam an aungell bryght of face

Flyenge from heuyn with full gret lyght

And ~ayd hayle mary full of grace

For thou ~halt bere a man of myght

    Nowell. &c.

 

A~tonyed was that lady free

And he meruayle of that gretynge

Aungell ~he ~ayd how may that be

For neuer of man I had knowynge

    Nowell. &c.

 

Drede the nothynge mary mylde

Thou art fulfylled with great vertew

Thou ~halt conceyue and bere a chylde

That ~hall be named ~wete Je~u

    Nowell. &c.

 

She knelyd downe upon her knee

As thou ha~te ~ayd ~o may it be

With hert, thought, & mylde chere

Goddes handmayd I am here

    Nowell. &c.

 

Than began her wombe to ~prynge

She went with chylde without man

He that is lorde ouer all thynge

His fle~~he & blode of her had than

Nowell. &c.

Of her was borne our heuen kynge

And ~he a mayden neuer the le~~e

Therfore be mery & let us ~ynge

For this new lorde of Chry~tmas

    Nowell Nowell. &c.

                    Finis.

Editor's Note:

This is one of the carols that were first printed by Richard Kele, Christmas Carolles Newly Inprynted (circa 1550), reprinted in Philip Bliss, Biographical Miscellanies (1813), and included in Edward Bliss Reed, Christmas Carols of the 16th Century, Including Kele's Christmas Carolles Newly Inprynted (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1932).

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