by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Variation I: Lullay Jesu
Language: English
Mine own dear mother, sing lullay! Lullay, Jesu, lullay, lullay! Mine own dear mother, sing lullay! So blessed a sight it was to see, How Mary rocked her Son so free; So fair she rocked and sang 'by-by'. 'Mine own dear son, why weepest Thou thus? Is not Thy Father King of bliss? Have I not done that in me is? Your grievance, tell me what it is. ''Therefore, mother weep I nought, But for the woe that shall be wrought To me, ere I mankind have bought.' Ah, dear mother! yet shall a spear My heart in sunder all to-tear; No wonder though I careful were.' Now, dear mother, sing lullay, And put away all heaviness; Into this world I took the way, Again to (heaven) I shall me dress, Where joy is without end ay, Mine own dear mother, sing lullay!' Lullay, Jesu, lullay, lullay! Mine own dear mother, sing lullay!
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, before 1536 [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Variation I: Lullay Jesu", op. 3 no. 2, rev. 1955, first performed 1934 [men's chorus, women's chorus, boys' chorus a cappella (organ ad libitum)], from the cantata A Boy was Born, no. 2, Chester Music [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-06-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 153