Universalis

Friday 4 January 2008

Christmas Carols - 6

Today's carol thinks about the shepherds who went to Bethlehem. Here we have a lovely photo from the crib at Ham of a shepherd boy - standing just outside the stable.



God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we had gone astray:

O tidings of comfort and joy!

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:

O tidings of comfort and joy!

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm, and wind;
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed babe to find:

O tidings of comfort and joy!

But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this infant lay,
They found him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary, kneeling down,
Unto her Lord did pray:

O tidings of comfort and joy!

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace.
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth efface:

O tidings of comfort and joy!

This carol needs to be sung at a swift tempo!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful..