The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap (Chesterton, set by David Frederick Barlow, Charles Black, Donald Joseph Cashmore, Marion Conklin Chapman, J. Willis Conant, Mabel Wheeler Daniels, Norman Dello Joio, James McDonald Gayfer, Sidney Heys, Margaret Johnstone, Thomas Tertius Noble, Thomas Baron Pitfield, George Rathbone, Martin Edward Fallas Shaw, Jack Meredith Tatton, Roy Teed, Vally Weigl, née Pick, Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson, Arthur Wills) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

The Christ‑child lay on Mary's lap

Language: English

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.

The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast,
His hair was like a star.
O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.

The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart,
His hair was like a fire.
O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world's desire.

The Christ-child stood at Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

O weary, weary were the world,
But here the world is aright.

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Authorship

by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936), "A Christmas Carol", appears in The Wild Knight and Other Poems, first published 1900 [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 David Frederick Barlow (1927 - 1975), "The world's desire", published 1958. [SATB chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Charles Black (b. 1903), "The stars looked down", published 1961. [soprano obbligato and SATB chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Donald Joseph Cashmore (b. 1926), "The world's desire", published 1962. [SATB chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Marion Conklin Chapman , "The world's desire", published 1941. [SATB chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by J. Willis Conant , "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1956. [high voice or medium voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Mabel Wheeler Daniels (1878 - 1971), "The Christ-child", published 1931. [SATB chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Norman Dello Joio (1913 - 2008), "A Christmas Carol", published 1962. [SATB chorus or SSA chorus and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
by James McDonald Gayfer (b. 1916), "The world's desire", 1965. [medium voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Sidney Heys , "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1970 [voice and piano], from Two carols [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Margaret Johnstone , "The Christ-child", published 1951. [SATB chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Thomas Tertius Noble (1867 - 1953), "The world's desire", published 1935. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Thomas Baron Pitfield (1903 - 1999), "The Christ child" [chorus or unison chorus and piano or organ] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by George Rathbone (1874 - ?), "The Christ-child", published 1924. [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875 - 1958), "The world's desire", published 1928. [mixed chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Jack Meredith Tatton (1901 - 1970), "The Christ-child", published 1939. [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Roy Teed (b. 1928), "The Christ-child", c1960 [soprano or mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra or piano], from So Blest a Day [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Vally Weigl, née Pick (c1894 - 1982), "A Christmas Carol", published 1962. [mezzo-soprano and optional SA chorus a cappella] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson (b. 1931), "A Christmas Carol", published 1965. [low voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
by Arthur Wills (b. 1926), "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1966. [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

Researcher for this text: Barbara Miller

Text added to the website: 2004-02-10 00:00:00
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:02:04
Line count: 18
Word count: 109