Make We Joye Nowe In This Fest

For Christmas

Words: English Traditional
Bodleian Library. MS. Arch. Selden B. 25, XV Century

Source: Richard Greene, ed., A Selection of English Carols (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1962), #12, p. 65.

Make we joye nowe in this fest,
In quo Christus natus est.
    Eya!

A Patre unigenius
Thorw a maiden is come to us.
Synge we to here and sey, 'Welcome!
Veni redemptor genicum.'

Agnoscat omne seculum:
A bryght sterre thre kynges [made] come
For to seke with here presens
Verbum supernum prodiens.

A solis ortus cardine,
So myghty a lord was none as he,
For to oure kynde he hath yeve gryth,
Adam parens quod polluit.

Maria ventre concepit;
The Holy Gost was ay here with.
In Bedleem yborne he ys
Consors paterni luminis.

O lux beata Trinitas!
He lay bytwene an oxe and asse.
Thou moder and maiden fre,
Gloria tibi, Domini.

Note:

Latin translations from Edith Rickert's Glossary:

In quo Christus natus est. = On which Christ was born .

1. A Patre Unigenitus = The only Son of the Father
Veni, Redemptor gencium = Come, Redeemer of mankind

2. Agnoscat omne seculum = Let all the world acknowledge Thee
Verbum supernum prodiens = Showing forth the high Word

3. A solis ortus cardine = Arisen from the quarter of the sun
Adam parens quod polluit = Which Adam, the parent, did pollute (Source: San Francisco Bach Choir, Make We Joy).

4. Maria ventre concepit, = Conceived in Mary’s womb (Source: San Francisco Bach Choir, Make We Joy).
Consors paterni luminis = Consort of the light of the Father

5. O lux beata Trinitas = O blessed light of the Trinity
Gloria tibi, Domine = Glory to Thee, O Lord

Note: Some of the translations of Latin phrases from Rickert are different on the page from the translations by the San Francisco Bach Choir. As I have (thus far) been unable to become literate in Latin, I am not in a position to make a recommendation one way or the other.

Versions of this carol on this web site:

• Make We Joye Nowe In This Fest (Richard Leighton Greene) [this page]

• Make We Joy Now In This Fest (From George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1902) (with sheet music)

• Make We Joy Now In This Fest (Richard R. Terry, ca. 1923; with sheet music)

• Make we jow in this fest (Thomas Wright, 1847)

• Make We Joy In This Feast (From Edith Rickert, 1914)

The Selden Manuscript was one of the sources for A Medieval Carol Book by Rev. Terry. Scans of the manuscript pages are on-line at the Bodleian Library; see Selden MS B26 (opens in a new window at an exterior site).

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