The Babe in Bethlehem’s Manger Laid

For Christmas

Words: Anonymous
Rev. Richard Chope gives "Kentish"

Music: Babe of Bethlehem, Anonymous
Shaw & Dearmer give "Traditional"

Source for verses 1-3, 6: O. Hardwig, ed., Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #98
Source for verses 4 & 5: Chope, Carols For Use In Church

1. The Babe in Bethl'em's manger laid,
    In humble form so low,
By wond'ring angels is surveyed
    Thro' all His scenes of woe.

Chorus
Noël, Noël
Now sing a Savior's birth,
All hail His coming down to earth,
Who raises us to heav'n.

2. A Savior, sinners all around!
    Sing, shout the wondrous word;
Let every bosom hail the sound,
    A Savior! Christ the Lord. Chorus

3. For, not to sit on David's throne
    With worldly pomp and joy,
He came for sinners to atone,
    And Satan to destroy. Chorus

4. To preach the word of life divine,
    And feed with living bread,
To heal the sick with hand benign,
    And raise to life the dead;  Chorus

5. He preached, he suffered, bled and died,
    Uplift 'twist earth and skies;
In sinner's stead was crucified,
    For sin to sacrifice:  Chorus

6. Well may we sing a Savior's birth,
    Who need the grace so given,
And hail His coming down to earth,
    Who raises us to heaven; Chorus

Sheet Music from O. Hardwig, ed., The Wartburg Hymnal (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1918), #98

Sheet Music from Rev. Richard R. Chope, Carols For Use In Church (London: William Clowes & Sons, 1894), Carol #6

Sheet Music: Martin Shaw and Percy Dearmer, The English Carol Book, First Series (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., 1913), Carol #5
Verses 4 and 5  above from Shaw and Dearmer; omit is sung at Christmas.
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), #27, p. 48.

Rev. Terry gives the same version of this carol as above, with two exceptions:

• Verse 4, Line 2, "To give with living bread,"

• Verse 6, Line 1, "Well may we sing the Savior's birth"

Terry includes four verses; Of the original, 1, 3, 4, 6.

Sheet Music from Richard R. Terry, Old Christmas Carols. Part One. (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd., n.d., ca. 1923), Carol #13, p. 17.

Rev. Terry notes: “Old Kentish Carol. Words and melody traditional.”

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