When The Christ Was Born, The Very Light

Original Title:
A Christmas Carol (Two Parts)
(Canon In The Second Above)

Words: J. (John) Troutbeck
The words are ‘translated' from the German of H. C. Andersen

Music: Carl Reinecke

Source: The Course of Study: A Monthly Publication for Teachers and Parents, Volume 1, Number 1. (Chicago: The Chicago Institute, Academic and Pedagogic., July, 1900), pp. 94-97.

1. When the Christ was born, the very Light,
Mankind to redeem undertaking,
He lay in a manger at dead of night
His bed with oxen making.
But over the manger, a star glittered fair,
And the oxen knew that the Lord was there,
Halleluiah, halleluiah, Lord Jesus.

2. Then rouse thee, my soul, thou art not forlorn.
Forget thou the weight of thy sadness.
This child in the City of David born
For morning brings us gladness.
O let us follow this little child
In spirit, child-like and undefiled,
Halleluiah, halleluiah, Lord Jesus.

Sheet Music from The Elementary School Journal, Volume 4, by University of Chicago. Dept. of Education (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1904), pp. 94-97.

Editor's Note:

This carol was republished under the title The Elementary School Journal, Volume 4, by University of Chicago. Dept. of Education (University of Chicago Press) in 1904. The score appears on the same page numbers.

It was originally published as #11, Novello's Christmas Carols, “A Christmas Carol (Two Parts)” between 1890 and 1906. Novello and Company was acquired by the Music Sales Group in 1993. A search for this carol at their website returned "no results."

Particular thanks to Celia who provided valuable information about this carol, and which led to the discovery of the sheet music, above.

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