by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Variation II: Herod
Language: English
Noel! Herod that was both wild and wode, Full much he shed of Christian blood, To slay the Child so meek of mood, that Mary bare, that clean may Herod slew with pride and sin, Thousands of two year and within; The body of Christ he thought to win And to destroy the Christian fay Mary with Jesu forth yfraught As the angel her taught, To flee the land till it were sought, To Egypt she took her way. Now Jesus that didst die for us on the Rood, And didst christen innocents in their blood, By the prayer of Thy mother good, Bring us to bliss that lasteth ay.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, before 1529 [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 II: Herod", op. 3 no. 3, 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. 3, 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: 17
Word count: 110