Lestenyt, Lordynges, Bothe Elde and Õynge

For Christmas

Words and Music: English Traditional

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), Song Number XIII, pp. 16-18.
Also occurs in Wright, ed., Songs and Carols Printed From A Manuscript in the Sloane Collection in the British Museum Preface signed Thomas Wright. (London: William Pickering, 1836), No. V.

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.

Of a rose, a lovely rose,
Of a rose is al myn song.

Lestenyt, lordynges, bothe elde and ³ynge,
How this rose began to sprynge ;
Swych a rose to myn lykynge
In al this word ne knowe I non.

The aungil cam fro hevene tour,
To grete Marye with gret honour,
And seyde sche xuld bere the flour,
That xulde breke the fyndes bond.

The flour sprong in heye Bedlem,
That is bothe bry³t and schen ;
The rose is Mary hevene qwyn,
Out of here bosum the blosme sprong.

The ferste braunche is ful of my³t,
That sprong on Cyrstemesse ny³t ;
The sterre schon over Bedlem bry³t,
That is bothe brod and long.

The secunde braunche sprong to helle,
The fendys power doun to felle ;
Therin my³t non sowle dw[e]lle ;
Blyssid be the tyme the rose sprong.

The thredde branche is good and swote,
It sp[r]ang to hevene crop and rote,
Therin to dwellyn and ben our bote ;
Every day it schewit in prystes hond.

Prey we to here with gret honour,
Che that bar the blyssid flowr,
Che be our helpe and our socour,
And schyd us fro the fyndes bond.

Editor's Note:

Other versions of this carol on this website:

• Lestenyt, Lordynges, Bothe Elde and 3ynge (Wright, 1836 & 1856, from Sloane 2593) (Burden: Of a rose, a lovely rose)  [This page]

• Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose (Chambers & Sidgwick, 1907 from Sloane 2593) (First Line: Lesteneth, lordinges, bothe elde and yinge)

• Lyth and lystyn, both old and young (Wright, 1847, from MS. Eng. poet. e. 1.) (Burden: Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose)

• Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose (Rickert, 1914 from MS. Eng. poet. e. 1.) (First Line: Hearken to me, both old and ying)

• Off A Rose, A Louely Rose (Flügel, 1903 from Balliol Ms. 354) (First line: Herkyn to me both olde & yonge)

• Hearken To Me Both Old And Young, (Pollard, 1903, from Balliol MS 354) (Burden: Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose)

• Hearken To Me Both Old And Young (Weston, 1911, from the Balliol MS 354) (Burden: All of a Rose, a lovely Rose)

There are other carols on this web site with similar first lines or burdens, although they have very separate themes and lyrics, including:

• This Rose is Railed on a Ryse, Text Source: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p. 11, from Ms. Selden B 26, folio 9v.
  • Text and Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #176, pp. 10-11.
  • Text and Sheet Music from Sir Richard Runciman Terry, A Medieval Carol Book: The Melodies Chiefly from MMS. in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., 1932), Carol #5, pp. 10-11.

"Listen, Lordings, Both Great and Small" (Burden: A, a, a, a, Nunc gaudet ecclesia):

• Lestenyt3, lordynges, bothe grete and smale (Wright, 1856)

• Listeneth, lordings, both great and small (Rickert, 1914)

"Listen, Lordings, both leve and dear" (Nowell, -ell, both Old and Young):

• Nowel el bothe eld and õyng - Thomas Wright (Wright, 1841)

• Nowell, Ell, Both Old and Ying (Rickert, 1914)

"Listen, Lordings, Both More and Less" (Burden: Puer nobis natus est de Virgine Maria)

• Be glad, lordynges, be ye more and lesse (Thomas Wright, 1841)

• Lystenyt, lordyngs, more and lees (Wright, 1845)

• Puer Nobis Natus Est (First line: Be glad, lordinges, bethe more and lesse,) (Chambers & Sidgwick, 1907)

• Be Glad, Lordings, Be Ye More and Less (Rickert, 1916)

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.

Related Hymns and Carols