Now May We Singen As It Is

Now May We Singen As It Is

For Christmas

Words and melody from a parchment roll in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge. (Date, Fifteenth Century.)
Mode I.
See: Cambridge UK, Trinity College O.3.58 (1230)

Source: Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #190, pp. 38-39.

Refrain:
Now may we singen as it is
Quod puer natus est nobis.

1. The Babe to us that now is bore
Wonderful workès He hath y-wrought,
He will not love that was forlore
But boldly (He) again it bought,
    And thus it is,
    Forsooth I wis
    He asketh nought but that is His.

2. This chaffer lovèd He right well;
The priee was nigh and y-bought full dear.
Who would suffer and for us feel,
And did that Prince withouten peer?
    And thus it is,
    Forsooth I wis
    He asketh nought but that is His.

3. His ransom for us hath (been) paid,
Of reason that we ought to be His,
Be mercy ask'd and He be prayed;
We (then) by right may claim¹ (our) bliss
    And thus it is,
    Forsooth I wis
    He asketh nought but that is His.

4. To some purpose God madè man,
I do leve well to sal-va-ci-on.
What was His blood that from Him ran,
But defence 'gainst dam-na-ci-on?
    And thus it is,
    Forsooth I wis
    He asketh nought but that is His.

5. Almighty God in Trinity,
Thy mercy we pray with (our) whole heart;
Thy mercy may all woe make flee,
And cruel² dread from us doth start.
    And thus it is,
    Forsooth I wis
    He asketh nought but that is His.

Text Notes from Rev. Terry.

1. In the MS. It stands 'Kalange,' an unusual form of the word "to challenge." But on the authority of Henry Bradley it is translated 'claim.' See M.E. Dict. Return.

2. It stands 'daugerous' in the MS., which gives a syllable too many for the note. I have therefore substituted 'cruel' which is its equivalent. Return.

Bore = born
Forelore = forlorn
Wis = known.
Chaffer = bargaining.
Leve = believe.

Sheet Music from Richard Runciman Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited, 1933), Carol #190, pp. 38-39.

Sheet Music Notes from Rev. Terry (see the sheet music):

1. Between the asterisks there is a hiatus in the MS. The words are clearly written but their corresponding notes have been omitted. I give a conjectural reading.

2. Two crotchet notes omitted here.

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 #24, pp. 46-47.

Editor's Note:

Also found in Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), pp. 169-70: The Babe To Us That Now Is Born. On this page is contained the sheet music in both the original, 15^th century form and a contemporary format as found in J. A. Fuller Maitland in English Carols of the Fifteenth Century From A MS Roll in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. (London: The Leadenhall Press, et al., 1891) whose source was a roll in the Library of Trinity College.

Also found in Chambers and Sidgwick, Early English Lyrics (London: A. H. Bullen, 1907), #LX, p. 116, Now Sing We Right As It Is.

This description of the source manuscript is from Chambers and Sidgwick:

T.C.C., O. 3. 58
Trinity College Library, O. 3. 58. (James, no. 1230). Parchment roll 7 inches wide, and 6 feet 7 inches long. One side bears a Latin ecclesiastical treatise; the other 13 carols and poems with music, perhaps by John Dunstable (see Bodl. Selden B. 26). Df the XV cent.; the forms of the words indicate northern origin. A variant of the Agincourt song is the only secular poem. The MS. was presented in 1838 to the College by H. O. Roe, Esq. Described in James, iii. 247. Edited with a facsimile and added vocal parts by J. A. Fuller Maitland and W. S. Rockstro in 1891, English Carols of the Fifteenth Century, from a MS. Roll in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Some Middle English resources from the World Wide Web:

Middle English Resources at Lexilogos; another comprehensive resource that includes dictionaries, grammars, text resources.
Electronic Middle English Dictionary at the University of Michigan, plus their Middle English Compendium.
At Project Gutenberg: A Concise Dictionary of Middle-English by Mayhew and Skeat: Introduction | A-F | G-Q | R-Ȝ
Francis Henry Stratmann, A Middle English Dictionary (PDF from Internet Archive)

Editor's Note.

This carol is found in two manuscripts. Versions of this carol from these two manuscripts on this website include:

I. Balliol Ms. 354, the Richard Hill Commonplace Book

Now Sing We Right As It Is (Chambers and Sidgwick, 1907)
Now Unto Us A Babe Is Born (Weston, 1911)
This Babe To Us Now Is Born (Segar, 1915)
This Babe To Vs Now Is Born (Flügel, 1903)

II. Trinity College O.3.58 (1230), Cambridge UK

Now may we syngyn as it is (Fuller Maitland, 1891, 15th Century text), with sheet music
Now May We Singen As It Is (Fuller Maitland, 1891), Trinity College, Modern text with sheet music.
Now May We Singen As It Is (R. R. Terry, 1932), with sheet music.
This Babe To Us That Now Is Born (Rickert, 1914)

And see also John Stevens, ed. Mediaeval Carols. Musica Britannica 4. (London: Stainer and Bell, 1952, 2nd ed. 1958), p. 4.

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