When Christ Was Born In Bethlehem

Words: Laurence Housman, 1906

Music: St. Saviour, Frederick G. Baker, 1876
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer

1. When Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Fair peace on earth to bring,
In lowly state of love He came
To be the children’s King.

2. And round Him, then, a holy band
Of children blest was born,
Fair guardians of His throne to stand
Attendant night and morn.

3. And unto them this grace was giv’n
A Savior’s name to own,
And die for Him Who out of heav’n
Had found on earth a throne.

4. O blessèd babes of Bethlehem,
Who died to save our King,
Ye share the martyrs’ diadem,
And in their anthem sing!

5. Your lips, on earth that never spake,
Now sound th’ eternal word;
And in the courts of love ye make
Your childrens voices heard.

6. Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Child,
Make Thou our childhood Thine;
That we with Thee the meek and mild
May share the love divine.

Although they bear similar names, these three very different carols are based on the Neopolitan carol Canzone D'l Zampognari (Quanno nascette Ninno a Bettelemme) by Alphonsus Maria de Liguori.

• When Christ In Bethlehem Was Born (Marvin, 1902)

• When Christ our Lord was Born at Bethlehem Afar (Baker, 1904)

• When Christ Was Born In Bethlehem - Neopolitan (Longfellow, early 1800s)

See also "A Christmas Carol by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, based on a poem from the Naples region of Italy, "Bourguignon De Gui Barozai").

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