There Is A Child Of Mary Born

For Christmas, Epiphany

Words: English Traditional from the Hill Ms.
See: Ther Ys A Chylde Borne Of Mary
See Conditor alme siderum, Latin Hymn
Compare: There Is A Child Born of Mary

Music: Not Stated

Source: Jessie L. Weston, ed., Old English Carols from the Hill MS. [Balliol College MS. 354] Translated by Jessie L. Weston. (London: David Nutt, 1911), Carol #XV, p. 27.

Conditur alme siderum
Eterna lux credencium.

1. There is a Child of Mary born,
Salvation hath He brought to us,
Whom we should worship night and morn,
With Veni Creator Spiritus !

2. In Bethlehem it so befell
That in a stable born He was :
Pray Him for grace to serve Him well
With Trinitatis Unitas!

3. The shepherds heard that Angel-song,
And worshipped God in Trinitie,
Who, Man, was born mankind among,
Jam lucis orto sidere !

4. Now let each man upon Him call,
Who sits enthroned in Heaven high,
That to His bliss He bring us all,
Jesu Salvator seculi!

Editor's Note:

Weston's apparent source was 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. This work is available at both Internet Archive and Google Books.

See also 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.

Another version of this carol is found in the Sloane Manuscript, A Babe Is Born, All Of A Maid and A babe is born al of a may - Thomas Wright.

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