Ther Ys A Chylde Borne Of Mary

For Christmas, Epiphany

Words: English Traditional from the Hill Ms., Fifteenth Century
See: There Is A Child Born of Mary (Weston)

Compare: A babe is born al of a may - Thomas Wright  from the Sloane Ms. 2593, fol. 74, v⁰
A Babe Is Born, All Of A Maid

Music: Not Stated

Source: Ewald Flügel, ed., “Liedersammlungen des XVI Jahrhunderts, Besonders Aus Der Zeit Heinrichs VIII. III. 6. Die lieder des Balliol Ms. 354,” in Eugen Einenkel, ed., Anglia - Zeitschrift für englische Philologie enthaltend Beitrage zur Geschlicht der englischen Sprache und Literatur. Band XXVI. (Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1903), #LXXI, p. 236.

Conditor alme siderum,
eterna lux credencium! ¹)

1] Ther ys a chylde borne of mary,
In saluacion of all vs,
That we shuld worship euery day,
                                with veni creator Spiritus!

2] In bedlem in that holy place,
Thys blessid child born he was,
hym to serue he gave vs grace
                                with trinitatis vnitas!

3] The shepardes hard yat Angels songe,
And worshypped god in trynyte,
yat so nygh was them A-monge
                                iam lucis orto sidere!

4] Eche man be gan to cry & call,
to hym that syttyth on hye,
to hys blis to bryng them all,
                                Ihesu saluator seculi

Editor's Note.

Flügel gives the following footnote:

    1) Vgl. Daniel 1, 74; 4, 118. 368 &c.

The reference is to Hermann Adalbert Daniel, ed., Thesaurus hymnologicus, Volumes 1 (Conditor alme siderum) and 4 (pp. 118 & 368, notes to Conditor alme siderum). See: Conditor & Creator in Daniel, Thesaurus Hymnologicus

Also found in Roman Dyboski, ed. Songs, Carols and Other Miscellaneous Poems from the Balliol MS. 354, Richard Hill’s Commonplace Book. Early English Text Society Extra Series No. CI (London: Published for the Early English Text Society by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., 1907, issued in 1908), #18, p. 10. Over 103 songs of great variety, including 62 "sacred songs and carols." Available at Internet Archive and Google Books.

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