In Bethlehem City
Language: English
In Bethlehem city, in Judea it was, That Joseph and Mary together did pass, All for to be taxed when thither they came, For Caesar Augustus commanded the same. Chorus: Then let us be merry, cast sorrow away, Our Saviour Christ Jesus was born on this day. But Mary's full time being come as we find, She brought forth her first-born to save all mankind; The inn being full of the heavenly Guest, No place could she find to lay Him to rest. (Chorus) Then they were constrained in a stable to lie Where horses and asses they used for to tie. Their lodging so simple the look in no scorn, Our Saviour, Ou Saviour was born! (Chorus) Then God send an angel from Heaven so high To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie. And bade them no longer in sorrow to stay Because that our Saviour was born on this day. (Chorus) Then presently after the shepherds did spy, Vast numbers of angels did stand in the sky; So merry were talking, so sweetly did sing, "All glory and praise to the heavenly King!" Chorus: Then let us be merry, cast sorrow aside, Our Saviour Christ Jesus was born on this tide.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "In Bethlehem City", 1950 [women's chorus], from the cantata Folk Songs of the Four Seasons, no. 5c, (Winter), Oxford University Press [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Lidy van Noordenburg
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-31
Line count: 29
Word count: 205