Lordes and ladyes all by dene
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).
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Middle English;
Retyped in Old Blackletter font:
Compare: Lordes and Ladyes All By Dene - Sandys
A New Carol of Our Lady (Rickert)
A new caroll of our lady
Nowell Nowell Nowell Nowell
This sayd the aungell Gabryell.
Lordes and ladyes all by dene
For your goodnes and honour
I wyll you synge all of a quene
Of all women she is the floure
Nowell. etc.
Of Jesse there sprange a wyght
Isay sayd by prophesy
Of whome shall com a man of myght
From dethe to lyfe he wyll vs bye
Nowell. etc.
There cam an aungell bryght of face
Flyenge from heuyn with full gret lyght
And sayd hayle mary full of grace
For thou shalt bere a man of myght
Nowell. etc.
Astonyed was that lady free
And he meruayle of that gretynge
Aungell she sayd how may that be
For neuer of man I had knowynge
Nowell. etc.
Drede the nothynge mary mylde
Thou art fulfylled with great vertew
Thou shalt conceyue and bere a chylde
That shall be named swete Jesu
Nowell. etc.
She knelyd downe upon her knee
As thou haste sayd so may it be
With hert, thought, and mylde chere
Goddes handmayd I am here
Nowell. etc.
Than began her wombe to sprynge
She went with chylde without man
He that is lorde ouer all thynge
His flesshe and blode of her had than
Nowell. etc.
Of her was borne our heuen kynge
And she a mayden neuer the lesse
Therfore be mery and let us synge
For this new lorde of Chrystmas
Nowell Nowell. etc.
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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