This Babe To Us Now Is Born

This Babe To Us Now Is Born

For Christmas

Words: English Traditional from Balliol College MS. 354, The Richard Hill Common-place Book.

Music: Not Stated

Source: Mary Gertrude Segar, ed., A Mediaeval Anthology, Being Lyrics And Other Short Poems, Chiefly Religious, Collected and Modernized (London, NY: Longmans, Green, 1915), #XVII, p. 43.

THE QUESTIONS OF THE CHILD JESUS.

Now sing we right as it is
Quod puer natus est nobis.

1. This Babe to us now is born
Wonderful workes He hath wrought,
He would not lose what was forlorn
But again He hath us bought.
..........And thus it is
..........Forsooth i-wis
He asketh nothing but what is His.

2. " Man, why art thou unkind to me ?
What would'st thou I did for thee more ?
Give me thy true heart, I pray thee ;
If thou be damned it rueth me sore."
..........And thus it is
..........Forsooth i-wis
He asketh nothing but what is His.

3. " Man I love thee : whom lovest thou ?
I pray thee turn to me again
And thou shalt be as welcome now
As he that never in sin was seen."—
..........And thus it is
..........Forsooth i-wis
He asketh nothing but what is His.

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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