This Endres Nyght

This Endnes Nyght I Saw A Syght

For Christmas Eve, For Christmas

Also: A, My Dere Son
Source: William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London: Richard Beckley, 1833), pp.11-12.

Words and Music: 15th Century England, Addit. Ms. 5465, British Library, also known as the Fairfax Manuscript
The earliest manuscript containing the song comes from c. 1475.

A, my dere son, sayd mary, a, my dere,
kys þⁱ moder Jhesu w^t a lawghyng chere.

This endnes nyght I saw a syght
    all in my slepe,
Mary þ^tmay she sang lullay
    & sore did wepe.
To kepe she sawght full fast a bowte
    her son fro colde;
Joseph seyd, wiff, my joy, my leff,
    say what ye wolde;
no thyng my spouse is In þ^s howse
    unto may pay;
my son a kyng þ^t made all thyng
    lyth in hay.

A my dere son.

My moder dere, a mend yo^r chere,
    & now be styll;
thus for to ly it is sothely
    my fadirs will.
derision gret passion
    Infynytely,
As it is fownde many a wownd
    suffyr shall I,
on caluery that is so hye
    there shall I be;
man to restore naylid full sore
    uppon a tre.

A my dere son.

Sandys' Note, p. 179.

"From Addit. MSS. Brit. Museum, 5465. (being ancient songs, temp. Hen. VII. and VIII. with the music in three and four parts)".

Editor's Note:

Add. MS 5465 is also known as the Fairfax Manuscript. The British Library identifies a song with the burden "Ah my dear, Ah my dear son," in folios 50v-53. Images are said to be stored at DIAMM, the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music, #1237, https://www.diamm.ac.uk/sources/1237/#/

Also found in A. H. Bullen, A Christmas Garland (London: John C. Nimmo, 1885), p. 21, with modernized spelling (similar to Rickert's This Endernight I Saw A Sight). He notes that this carol was printed in Sandys' Christmas Carols, from Add. Ms. 5165 [sic] (ancient songs temp Henry VII and VIII). He also notes, at page 252, "The MS. from which this piece is taken contains a large collection of church-services, hymns, carols, and songs, — with music. It formerly belonged to Joseph Ritson, who presented it to the British Museum. The collection deserves to be printed in full."

Editor's Note:

There are numerous carols with a very similar title, and at least five manuscript sources for versions of these two songs, including, but not limited to:

1. Versions from Addit. Ms. 5465, British Library:

This Endnes Nyght - William Sandys, 1833, in Middle English; Burden: A, My Dere Son, from Sandys, 1833

2. Versions from Ms. Eng. Poet. e. 1.:

Thys endris nyghth - Thomas Wright (1847); First verse: This lovely lady sat and song

This Endris Night I Saw A Sight - Chambers & Sidgwick; First verse: This lovely lady sat and song

This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight - Joshua Sylvester, 1861; First verse: This lovely lady sang and sang.

This Endris Night - Version 1, with notes; Source lost; First verse: This lovely lady sat and sang
The Virgin and Child - Bramley and Stainer, Second Series, Carol #25, ca. 1871, with sheet music; First Verse: A lovely lady sat and sang

3. Versions from the Advocates Library, Edinburgh:

This endurs ny3t I see a syght - Wright, 1845; First Line: This lovely lady sete and song

This Endris Night - Version 2 - William Henry Husk, 1868, with sheet music and note; First verse: This lovely lady sat and sang. Sheet Music is from Martin Shaw and Percy Dearmer, The English Carol Book, Second Series (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., 1913), Carol #51.

4. A Version from the Ms. Royal Appx. 58:

Thys Ender Nyzth

5. A Version from the Balliol MS. 354, the Richard Hill Commonplace Book:

This Enders Nyght - Balliol 354 - Ewald Flügel
A Lovely Lady Sat and Sung - Weston

6. A Version from Ritson's Manuscript, Add. MS 5665

This Endes Night I Saw A Sight - Bullen

Because of the similarity of the texts from Add. MS 5465 (Fairfax Ms.) and Add. MS 5665 (Ritson's Ms.), it is impossible to determine the source of Edith Rickert's second version of this carol, This Endernight I Saw A Sight (Burden: "Ah, my dear Son," said Mary, "ah, my dear,), pp. 62-63.

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