Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CAROL by ANONYMOUS

First Line: THIS VERY NIGHT / I SAW A SIGHT
Last Line: "LULLEY, BY-BY, / LULLY, LULLEY"
@3This very night
I saw a sight,
A star as bright
As any day;
And hearkened long
A Maiden's song,
Lulley, by-by,
Lully, lulley@1.

A lovely Lady sat and sung,
Thus to her Babe did say:
"My Son, my Lord, my Dear Darling,
Why liest thus in hay?
Mine own dear Son,
Whence art Thou come?
Art very God, I-fay,
Yet none the less
I will not cease
To sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

Then spake the Babe that was so young,
And thus methinks He said:
"Yea, I am known in Heaven as
King,
Tho' now in manger laid.
And angels bright
Round me shall light,
E'en now they wing their way;
In that fair sight
Shall ye delight,
And sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

"Jesu my Son, of Heaven the King,
Why liest Thou here in stall,
And why hast Thou no fair bedding
Spread in some rich king's hall?
Methinks of right
The Lord of Might
Should lie in fair array;
But none the less
I will not cease
To sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

"O! Mary Mother, queen of Bliss,
Methinks it were ill done
If I should seek the kings, I wis
'T is they should hither run.
But you shall see
Kings crowned three
Come here on the twelfth day --
For this behest
Give Me your breast,
And sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

"Jesu, my Son, I pray Thee say,
As Thou art to me dear,
How may I please Thee best alway,
And make Thee right good cheer?
For all Thy Will
I would fulfil,
Thou knowest it well, I-fay,
Rock Thee, perchance,
Or may-be, dance,
And sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

"Now Mary, Mother, heark to Me,
Take thou Me up aloft,
And in thine arms soft cradle Me,
And dance Me now full oft;
And lap Me warm,
That, free from harm,
Secure I rest alway,
And if I weep,
And will not sleep,
Then sing, @3by, by, lully, lulley."
This very night@1 --

"Jesu, my Son, high Heaven's King,
If so Thy Will it were,
Grant me my will in this one thing
As seemeth fit and fair;
And all men still
Who can, and will,
Make merry on this Day,
To Bliss them bring,
And I will sing,
@3Lully, by, by, lully, lulley."

This very night
I saw a sight,
A star as bright
As any day;
And hearkened long
A Maiden's song,
Lulley, by-by,
Lully, lulley@1.



Home: PoetryExplorer.net