LiederNet logo

CONTENTS

×
  • Home | Introduction
  • Composers (20,808)
  • Text Authors (20,754)
  • Go to a Random Text
  • What’s New
  • A Small Tour
  • FAQ & Links
  • Donors
  • DONATE

UTILITIES

  • Search Everything
  • Search by Surname
  • Search by Title or First Line
  • Search by Year
  • Search by Collection

CREDITS

  • Emily Ezust
  • Contributors (1,129)
  • Contact Information
  • Bibliography

  • Copyright Statement
  • Privacy Policy

Follow us on Facebook

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Judea
Language: English 
1. A Virgin unspotted the Prophet foretold,
Should bring forth a Savior which now we behold,
To be our Redeemer from Death, Hell and Sin,
Which Adam's transgression involved us in.
  Then let us be Merry, put Sorrow away,
  Our Savior, Christ Jesus, was born on this day.
  Then let us be Merry, put Sorrow away,
  Our Savior, Christ Jesus, was born on this day.

2. Through Bethlehem City, in Jewry it was,
That Joseph and Mary together did pass;
And for to be taxèd when thither they came,
Since Caesar Augustus commanded the same.
  Then let us be Merry, &c.

3. But Mary's full Time being come as we find,
She brought forth her First-born to save all Mankind:
The Inn being full, for this heavenly Guest,
No Place there was found where to lay him to rest.
  Then let us be Merry, &c.

4. But Mary, blest Mary, so meek and so mild,
Soon wrapped up in Swadlings this heavenly Child;
Contented she laid him where Oxen do feed;
The great God of Nature approved of the Deed.
  Then let us be Merry, &c.

5. To teach us Humility all this was done,
Then learn we from hence haughty Pride for to shun;
A Manger's his Cradle, who came from above,
The Great God of Mercy, of Peace, and of Love.
  Then let us be Merry, &c.

6. Then presently after, the Shepherds did spy
Vast numbers of Angels to stand in the Sky;
So merrily talking, so sweet they did sing,
All Glory and Praise to our heavenly King.
  Then let us be Merry, &c.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 William Billings (1746 - 1800), "Judea", subtitle: "Christmas Hymn", published 1778, from The Singing Master's Assistant [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Ross Klatte

This text was added to the website: 2026-03-28
Line count: 33
Word count: 268

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

Donate

We use cookies for internal analytics and to earn much-needed advertising revenue. (Did you know you can help support us by turning off ad-blockers?) To learn more, see our Privacy Policy. To learn how to opt out of cookies, please visit this site.

I acknowledge the use of cookies

Contact
Copyright
Privacy

Copyright © 2026 The LiederNet Archive

Site redesign by Shawn Thuris