The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight

The Virgin and Child

Version 2

Words and Music Unknown

Source: Joshua Sylvestre, Christmas Carols - Ancient and Modern (circa 1861, reprinted A. Wessels Company, New York, 1901)

This winter's night
I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day,
And ever among
A maiden sung,
Lullay, by by, lullay.

This lovely lady sang and sang and to her child she said:
"My son, my brother, my father dear, why lyest thou thus in hayd --
My sweet bird,
Though it betide
Thou be not king veray;1
But, nevertheless, I will not cease
To sing, by by, lullay.

The Child then spake; in his talking he to his mother said:
"It happeneth, mother, I am King, in crib though I be laid,
For angels bright
Did down alight,
Thou knowest it is no nay,
And of that sight
Thou mayst be light2
To sing, by by, lullay."

"Now, sweet son, since thou art King, why art thou laid in stall?
Why not thou ordain thy bedding in some great king's hall?
Me thinketh 'tis right
That king or knight
'Should be in good array
And then among
It were no wrong
To sing, by by, lullay."

"Mary, mother, I am thy child, though I be laid in stall,
Lords and dukes shall worship me, and so shall kings all;
Yet shall we see
That kings three
Shall come on the twelfth day;
For this behest
Give me thy breast
And sing, by by, lullay."

"Now tell me, sweet son, I thee pray, thou art my love and dear,
how should I keep thee to thy pay,3 and make thee glad of cheer;
For all thy will
I would fulfil
Thou knowest full well in fay,4
And for all this
I will thee kiss
And sing, by by, lullay."

"Now, sweet son, since it is so, all things are at thy will,
I pray thee grant to me a boon, if it be right and skill,5
That child or man
That will or can
Be merry upon my day;
To bliss them bring,
And I shall sing
Lullay, by by, lullay."

Notes:

1. In truth. Return

2. Quick. Return

3. Satisfaction. Return

4. In truth. Return

5. Reasonable. Return

Sylvestre's Note:

The present carol has been copied from a reprint of the ancient manuscript in the possession of Thomas Wright, Esq. Another version of it will be found in the "Reliquĉ Antiquĉ," printed from a MS. in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. It may be remarked that there is a gracefulness and tenderness in many of the touches, not often met with in poems of this early date.

Note that Hugh Keyte, an editor of The New Oxford Book of Carols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992) believes that "Joshua Sylvestre" is a pseudonym for a collaboration between William Sandys (1792-1874) and William Henry Husk (1814-1887). See Appendix 4.

Editor's Note'

Also found in Henry Vizetelly, Christmas With The Poets (London: David Bogue, 1851). His note to this carol, comprised of two sentences, is identical to that of Sylvestre. Vizetelly's footnotes are also identical.

There are numerous, separate examples of this carol. See:

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