Adam Our Fader Was In Blis

For Christmas

Words and Music: English Traditional

Compare: O Flos de Jesse Virgula (from Rickert)

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols from a Manuscript in the British Museum of the Fifteenth Century (London: Printed by Richards for The Warton Club, 1856), Hymn No. v, pp. 7-9.

This carol requires the installation of the "Junicode" font for best display.
You can obtain a copy of this font from Old English at the University of Virginia, or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer. See notes in F A Q.

Note: Because Middle English contains letters not found in modern English, I've used a special font, "Junicode" created by Professor Peter S. Baker, Professor of English, University of Virginia on some pages.  I will note on the individual carol's page which ones need this font. You can obtain a copy of this font from his website Old English at the University of Virginia (select "Windows TrueType," or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer).  This font must be downloaded and installed before these pages will display accurately.

Note: Because Middle English contains letters not found in modern English, I've used a special font, "Junicode" created by Professor Peter S. Baker, Professor of English, University of Virginia on some pages.  I will note on the individual carol's page which ones need this font. You can obtain a copy of this font from his website Old English at the University of Virginia (select "Windows TrueType," or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer).  This font must be downloaded and installed before these pages will display accurately.

O flos de Jesse virgula,
Laus tibi sit et gloria.

ADAM our fader was in blis,
And for an appil of lytil prys
He loste the blysse of paradys,
    Pro sua superlia.

And alle that evere of hym cam
The ryth weye to helle nam,
Bothe Ysaac and Abraham,
    Teste profecia,

Than these profetes prechyd aforn,
That a chyld xuld be bom
To beye that Adam hadde forlorn,
    Sua morte propria.

Moyses ferst in his lawe told
A chyld ther xuld be born so bold,
To beye aȝyn that Adam sold,
    Sua nocte pessima,

Isaac withoute lesyng
Profeciid in his prechyng
Of Jesse rote a flour xuld spryng
    De virgine purica.

Jeromy, that was so ȝyng,
Profecyid of his comyng,
That is veri lord and kyng,
    Summi patris gracia.

Ferthere more, as I ȝou telle,
Than profecyid Danyelle,
Of hys comyng he gan spelle,
    Gentibus in Judea.

Quan tyme cam of God almyȝt,
That wolde brynge mankynde to ryȝt,
In a maydyn he gan Iyȝt,
    Que vocatur Maria

Now is he born, that blysful chyld,
Of Mary moder mayde myld,
Fro the fynd he us schyld,
    Qui creavit omnia.

Prey we to hym with al our mynde,
That haȝt mad al mankynde,
He brynge us alle to good ende,
    In die novissima.

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