by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
The star‑song
Language: English
Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue, Where is the Babe but lately sprung? Lies he the lily-banks among? Or say, if this new Birth of ours Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers, Spangled with dew-light; thou canst clear All doubts, and manifest the where. Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek Him in the morning's blushing cheek, Or search the beds of spices through, To find him out? Star. No, this ye need not do; But only come and see Him rest A Princely Babe in's mother's breast. He's seen, He's seen! why then around, Let's kiss the sweet and holy ground; And all rejoice, that we have found A King before conception crown'd. Come then, come then, and let us bring Unto our pretty Twelfth-tide King, Each one his several offering; And when night comes, we'll give Him wassailing; And that His treble honours may be seen, We'll choose Him King, and make His mother Queen.
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "The star-song", subtitle: "A Carol to the King sung at Whitehall" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jonathan Dove (b. 1959), "The star-song", 2008 [ chorus and organ ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Kenneth Leighton (1929 - 1988), "The star-song", op. 25 no. 1, from Three Carols, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-24
Line count: 24
Word count: 161