by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)

Language: English 
A wind is rustling "south and soft,"
Cooing a quiet country tune.
The calm sea sighs, and far aloft
the sails are ghostly in the moon.

Unquiet ripples lisp and purr,
A block there pipes and chirps i' the sheave,
The wheel-ropes jar, the reef-points stir
Faintly --and it is Christmas Eve.

 ... 

The moon goes nodding down the west,
The drowsy helmsman strikes the bell;
Rex Judaorum natus est,
I charge you, brothers, sing Nowell, Nowell,
Rex Judaorum natus est

Composition:

    Set to music by Malcolm Gordon Davidson (1891 - 1949), "A Christmas carol", subtitle: "Being three stanzas from the poem entitled "Christmas Eve at Sea"", stanzas 1,2,7

Text Authorship:

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-04-02
Line count: 29
Word count: 180