Scripture Verse

Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

Introduction

portrait
Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)

Words: From a 14th Cen­tu­ry Be­ne­dic­tine pro­cess­ion­al (Pu­er na­tus in Beth­le­hem). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Hen­ry I. D. Ry­der in An­nus Sanc­tus, Vol­ume 1, ed­it­ed by Or­by Ship­ley (Lon­don & New York: Burns & Oates, 1884), pag­es 27–28, alt.

Music: Pu­er No­bis Nas­ci­tur Tri­er man­us­cript, 15th Cen­tu­ry. Adapt­ed by Mi­chael Prae­to-ri­us, 1609. Har­mo­ny by George R. Wood­ward, 1910 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

Lyrics

A Boy is born in Beth­le­hem,
Joy bringing to Je­ru­sa­lem.
He li­eth in a manger poor
Whose king­dom shall for aye en­dure.

The ox and ass knew and adored
The In­fant that was Christ the Lord.
The kings of Sa­ba came to bring
Gold, myrrh and in­cense to their king.

The off­spring He of vir­gin bright,
Made mo­ther by high Hea­ven’s might.
One af­ter one the cot for­lorn
Entering, they hail their prince new born.

The ser­pent’s ven­om knew Him not,
Though of our blood He chose His lot:
Made like to us in hu­man kin,
Unlike us in re­spect of sin.

That like Him He might make us be,
And with Him­self and God agree.
In this birth’s joy let all ac­cord,
And bless for ev­er Christ the Lord.