The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap (Chesterton) (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

This text was added to the website: 2004-02-10
Line count: 18
Word count: 109