Make We Mery In Hall And Bowre

For the Circumcision

Words: English Traditional
Compare: Make we mery in hall and boure (Reed)
Contrast: Make We Merry In Hall And Bower (Rickert) and Today Hath God Of His Mercie (Weston)

Music: Not Stated

Source: Philip Bliss, Bibliographical Miscellanies (Oxford, 1813, pp. 54-55.

DE CIRCUMCISIONE DOMINI

To encrease our ioy and blysse
Christus natus est nobis.

1. Make we mery in hall and bowre,
And this gloryous lady honor we,
That to vs hathe borae our sauyour.
Homo sine semine.
         To encrease, &c.

2. For as the sonne that shyneth bryght,
Perceth no glas that we may se.
So coceyued she Jesu full of myght
Cum virginitatis honore.
         To encrease, &c.

3. Ysay prophecyed longe beforne,
How this Emanuel borne sholde be,
To saue his people that were forlorne
Dux exurget regere.
         To encrease, &c.

4. We were all in great dystresse
Tyll this lorde dyd make vs free,
Wherof this feste beryth wytnes,
Uenit nos redimere.
         To encrease, &c.

5. A token of loue he fyrst now shewed,
That he on vs wolde haue pytye,
Whan he for vs was crucyfed,
Ujt declaratur hodie.
         To encrease, &c.

6. Most gloryons lady, we the pray,
That, bereth the crowne of chastyte,
Brynge vs to the blysse that lasteth aye
Feliciter congaudere.
         To encrease, &c.

Editor's Note:

This is one of a number of carols that Bliss obtained from a collection printed by Richard Kele, Christmas Carolles Newely Imprinteth, circa 1546 through 1552. See his introduction to the collection on p. 48.

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