Puer Nobis Natus Est
For Christmas
Words: From the Harley Ms. 5396, ca. King Henry VI, British Library, London
Compare:
Be Glad, Lordings (Rickert)
Lystenyt, lordyngs, more and lees - Thomas Wright
Be glad,
lordynges, be ye more and lesse - Thomas Wright
Music: Not Stated
Source: E. K. Chambers and F. Sidgwick, eds., Early English Lyrics (London: A. H. Bullen, 1907), #LXII, p. 118.
Puer nobis natus est
De virgine Maria.
Be glad, lordinges, bethe
more and lesse,
I bring you tidinges of gladnesse,
As Gabriel me bereth wetnesse. 5
Dicam vobis quia.
I bring you tidinges that ben
gode.
Mary hath borne a blissful fode
That boght us all upon the rode
Sua morte pia. 10
For the trespas of Adam,
Fro the fader of heven he cam.
Hereto mirthe us bigan
Teste prophecia.
Mary, modur and leve virgin,
15
That bare a child withouten sin,
Kepe us all fro helle pin !
De virgine Maria.
Notes:
8. fode, child.
15. leve, dear.
17. pin, torment.
Notes to #LXII, p. 351.
Harl. 5396. Printed Wright, S. C. C., 33.
Another version, one verse longer, from Camb. Ii. iv. 11, is printed Rel. Ant., i. 203.
12. Fro ; MS. ‘For'.
Extended Citations:
Harleian 5396.
Harleian 5396. First part non-lyrical, ff. 1-270, parchment; second part. ff.
271-311, paper, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2, with MS. note ‘A Collection of Ancient Poems with
some other Memorandums dated ye 34 year of K. Hen. VI. 1456.’ Extracts in
Wright, S.C.C. [Nos. LXII, LXVIL]
Editor's Note:
The source almost certainly did not print "ye 34 year." Rather the letter 'y' was used instead of the Middle English character Thorne (þ), which is commonly transliterated "th". This would give us "the 34 year" in the above text.
Wright, S. C. C., 33.
Thomas Wright,
Specimens of
Old
Christmas Carols, Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (London: The Percy
Society, 1841),
Be glad,
lordynges, be ye more and lesse, p. 33.
Rel. Ant., i. 203.
Thomas Wright
and
Editor's Note:
Other versions of this carol on this website:
"Listen, Lordings, Both More and Less" (Burden: Puer nobis natus est de Virgine Maria)
-
Be glad, lordynges, be ye more and lesse (Thomas Wright, 1841)
-
Lystenyt, lordyngs, more and lees (Wright, 1845)
-
Puer Nobis Natus Est (First line: Be glad, lordinges, bethe more and lesse,) (Chambers & Sidgwick, 1907) [This page]
-
Be Glad, Lordings, Be Ye More and Less (Rickert, 1916)
There are other carols on this web site with similar first lines or burdens, although they have very separate themes and lyrics, including:
"Listen, Lordings, Both Old and Young"
-
Lestenyt, Lordynges, Bothe Elde and 3ynge (Wright, 1836 & 1856, from Sloane 2593) (Burden: Of a rose, a lovely rose)
-
Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose (Chambers & Sidgwick, 1907 from Sloane 2593) (First Line: Lesteneth, lordinges, bothe elde and yinge) [This page]
-
Lyth and lystyn, both old and young (Wright, 1847, from MS. Eng. poet. e. 1.) (Burden: Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose)
-
Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose (Rickert, 1914 from MS. Eng. poet. e. 1.) (First Line: Hearken to me, both old and ying)
Off A Rose, A Louely Rose (Flügel, 1903 from Balliol Ms. 354) (First line: Herkyn to me both olde & yonge)
Hearken To Me Both Old And Young, (Pollard, 1903, from Balliol MS 354) (Burden: Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose)
This Rose is Railed on a Ryse (Of a rose singè we), Text Source: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p. 11, from Ms. Selden B 26, folio 9v.
- Text and Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #176, pp. 10-11.
- Text and Sheet Music from Sir Richard Runciman Terry, A Medieval Carol Book: The Melodies Chiefly from MMS. in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., 1932), Carol #5, pp. 10-11.
"Listen, Lordings, Both Great and Small" (Burden: A, a, a, a, Nunc gaudet ecclesia):
-
Lestenyt3, lordynges, bothe grete and smale (Wright, 1856)
-
Listeneth, lordings, both great and small (Rickert, 1914)
"Listen, Lordings, both leve and dear" (Nowell, -ell, both Old and Young):
-
Nowel el bothe eld and õyng - Thomas Wright (Wright, 1841)
-
Nowell, Ell, Both Old and Ying (Rickert, 1914)
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