Today Hath God Of His Mercie

For Christmas

Words: English Traditional from the Hill Ms.
See also Make We Merry In Hall And Bower (Rickert)
Contrast: Make We Mery In Hall And Bowre (Bliss) and Make we mery in hall and boure (Reed)

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 #X, p. 18.

Make we merry in hall and bower,
To-day was born our Saviour !

1. To-day hath God of His mercie
Sent His Son with us to be,
To dwell with us, in veritie
God that is our Saviour !

2. To-day in Bethlehem did befall,
A Child was born in ox's stall,
Who needs must die to save us all
God that is our Saviour !

3. To-day there spake an Angel bright,
To shepherds three who watched by night,
And bade them take their way forthright
To God that is our Saviour !

4. Therefore 'tis meet we kneel to-day,
And Christ, Who died on Cross, we pray
To show His grace to us alway
God that is our Saviour !

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), pp. 221-232. 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)p. 7. Over 103 songs of great variety, including 62 "sacred songs and carols." Available at Internet Archive and Google Books.

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