by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
An ode of the birth of our Saviour
Language: English
In Numbers, and but these few, I sing Thy Birth, Oh Jesu! Thou prettie Babie, borne here, With sup'rabundant scorn here: Who for Thy Princely Port here, Hadst for Thy place Of Birth a base Outstable for thy Court here. Instead of neat Inclosures Of interwoven Osiers; Instead of fragrant Posies Of Daffadils, and Roses; Thy cradle, Kingly Stranger, As Gospell tells Was nothing els, But, here, a homely manger. But we with Silks, (not Crewels), With sundry precious Jewells, And Lilly-work will dresse Thee; And as we dispossesse Thee Of clouts, wee'l make a chamber, Sweet Babe, for Thee, Of Ivorie, And plaister'd round with Amber. The Jews they did disdaine Thee, But we will entertaine Thee With Glories to await here Upon Thy Princely State here, And more for love, then pittie. From yeere to yeere, Wee'l make Thee, here, A Freeborn of our Citie.
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674) [author's text not yet checked 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 Kenneth Leighton (1929 - 1988), "An ode of the birth of our Saviour", op. 25 no. 3, from Three Carols, no. 3. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-24
Line count: 32
Word count: 147