Lullay, Lullay, Little Child

For Christmas

National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, MS Advocates 18. 7. 21.
Manuscript of Franciscan Friar John of Grimestone, ca 1370

Lullay, lullay, little child,
Why weepest thou so sore?

Lullay, lullay, little child,
Thou who wast so stern and wild,
Now art become meek and mild,
To save those who were forlore.

But for my sin I know it is
That God's Son has suffered this:
Mercy, Lord, I have done amiss!
Indeed, I will never more.

Against my Father's will I chose
An apple, with a rewful res;
Therefore my heritage I lost,
And now thou weepest therefore.

An apple I took from a tree;
God it had forbidden me;
For that I ought damned to be,
If it were not for thy weeping.

Lullay for woe, thou little thing,
Thou little baron, thou little king;
Mankind is the cause of thy mourning,
That thou hast loved so yore.

For man that thou hast aye loved so,
Yet shalt thou suffer pains mo,
In head, in feet, in hands too,
And yet weep well more.

That pain us make of sin free,
That pain us bring, Jesu, to thee,
That pain us help aye to flee
The wicked fiend's lore.

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