The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

Mary Is A Lady Bry3t

For Christmas

Words and Music: English Traditional from MS. Sloane 2593, British Library, London

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), pp. 19-20.

This carol requires the installation of the "Junicode" font for best display.
You can obtain a copy of this font from Old English at the University of Virginia, or right click here, and then select "Save File As" to save a copy of the zipped file to your computer. See notes in F A Q.

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.

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.

A, a, a, a,
Nunc gaudet Maria.

Mary is a lady bryȝt,
Sche haȝt a sone of meche myȝt,
Over al this word che is lyȝt,
        Bona natalicia.

Mary is so fayr of face,
And here sone so ful of grace,
In hevene he make us a place,
        Cum sua potencia.

Mary is so fayr and sote,
And here sone so ful of bote,
Over al this word he is bote,
        Bona voluntaria.

Mary is bothe good and kyndc,
Evere on us che haȝt mende,
That the fend xal us not schende
        Cum sua malicia.

Mary is qwen of alle thinge,
And here sone a lovely kynge ;
God graunt us alle good endyngc,
        Reynat dei gracia.

Note:

Copies of this carol on this site include:

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