And here ends advent for 2022. Thank you for joining me along the way. Tonight marks the beginning of our Christmas celebration. I want to close with perhaps one of the most beautiful contemporary choral Christmas works I have heard. I had the great pleasure of singing in the recording you'll hear which we performed for the 2019 Christmas at Christ Concert. It was the centerpiece for that concert and remains one of the most moving of any of the Christmas pieces I have sung with that choir.
Night of glory, night of grace,
Earth and heaven in one place,
We behold our Maker's face,
Night of glory, night of grace.
Night of glory, so divine,
Ageless king steps into time,
To seek and save a life like mine,
Night of glory, so divine,
Gloria, gloria, glory in the highest.
Night of glory, He is here,
No more longing dry your tears,
Angels tell us have no fear,
Night of glory, He is here!
Night of glory, night of grace,
Earth and heaven in one place,
We behold our Maker's face,
Night of glory, night of grace.
Tonight is indeed the celebration of a great night of glory and grace. Some of those lines are so poignant, "Earth and Heaven in one place," "Ageless King steps into time."
Let is rejoice together tonight. I hope that all over the world, indeed, probably starting sometime around last night, we have had an endless succession of people singing carols of praise and joy to our Saviour in practically every timezone, latitude, and language. May He receive all the glory for this magnificent night of grace He has brought to us. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!
This morning, when I woke, the sun was shining brightly in a dazzlingly blue sky. Those of you who know me will understand why this did not please me. However, the wind was also blustering quite strongly, knocking the branches of our trees together and maintaining that consistent dull roar outside that often comes before or after a Hurricane or a bad storm brushes our area.
As I watched, a large cloud crept up from the north, slowly blocking out more and more of the sky. It was really earie at one point as it seemed to half block out the sun, but now, as I write this, the day is completely cloud covered and looks for all the world as though we have another stormy day, to my utter delight and everyone else's dismay.
Being the time of year that it is, of course, my thoughts went straight to the Shepherds, who possibly had an opposite experience, albeit more suddenly. One of the things we actually know for a fact is that the Shepherds were visited by the angels during the night. "In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night."
Luke goes on to say that an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to them, which leaves no doubt that it was certainly not a gradual descent of light on their dark world, but I do know that there must have been sudden light where there had only been darkness previously. I have seen the way lightning at night for a brief moment will light up the sky almost as though it were day, and it is one of the most fascinating scenes.
Imagine if that lightning lasted for more than simply a split second, and then add in the dazzling being proclaiming the birth of the Messiah your people have awaited for years beyond counting.
What an experience.
The song I have for today I am also guilty of having shared several years ago, but I think it's one worth re-sharing. At the time I didn't know a thing about its composer, William Billings, but now I have had some exposure to his music and discovered in him a lively wit and brilliantly underrated skill in weaving together harmonies. He was an American composer, no less, from the eighteenth century, and some of his music has become an indispensable part of choral repertoire all over the world such as his very popular canon, "When Jesus wept."
This carol, "Methinks I see A Heavenly Host," is one that has been carried into modern times by means of the sacred-harp shape note singing tradition. It has a few questionable lyrics, such as a point where Billings is unduly harsh on the poor inkeeper, or the place where Jesus is termed as second to "The great I Am." However, all in all, I think it's alright to smile at these moments and move on. I know I couldn't help laughing when he calls the anonymous inn master he has dreamt up an "Ungenerous soul of savage mould and destitute of grace." In contrast there are some deeply profound lines such as when we "rural swains" are commanded to remember the meekness of our God "who left the realms of boundless joy to ransom you with blood." What a thought to ponder.
All in all, just enjoy this fast-paced, upbeat colonial-era carol. This is one that I would love to someday sing with a quartet, the harmonies are so crisp and on point. If I could get three other parts together, this would be one of the first things I would propose to sing. Whatever else this song contains it does not contain irreverence which is one of those things our modern songs often do. Every age has its foible, and ours is the tendency to treat God like the bloke next door.
What do you think? I'll post the lyrics below the video.
1. Methinks I see an heav'nly host,
Of angels on the wing!
Methinks I hear their cheerful notes,
So merrily they sing,
So merrily they sing.
Let all your fears be banish'd hence,
Glad tidings I proclaim;
For there's a savior born today,
And Jesus is His name,
And Jesus is his name.
2. Lay down your crooks, and quit your flocks,
To Bethlehem repair;
And let your wand'ring steps be squar'd
By yonder shining star.
Seek not in courts or palaces,
Nor royal curtains draw;
But search the stable, see your God
Extended on the straw.
3. Then learn from hence ye rural swains,
The meekness of your God,
Who left the boundless realms of joy
To ransom you with blood.
The master of the inn refus'd,
A more commodious place;
Ungen'rous soul of savage mould,
And destitute of grace.
4. Exult ye oxen, low for joy,
Ye tenants of the stall,
Pay your obeisance, on your knees
Unanimously fall.
The Royal Guest you entertain,
Is not of common birth,
But second to the Great I Am,
The God of heav'n and earth.
5. Then suddenly a heav'nly host,
Around the shepherds throng,
Exulting in the threefold God
And thus address their song.
To God the Father, Christ the Son,
And Holy Ghost ador'd:
The First and Last, the Last and First,
Eternal praise afford,
Eternal praise afford.
I see a bit of blue out my window as I finish this post. I'm hoping it's just a break in the clouds and not the end of them, but regardless I'm reminded that I won't always get cloudy skies, especially here in NC. The clouds will go away at some point and the sun will shine to earth unobstructed. The same happened to the shepherds. The heavenly host vanished, the sky was dark once more. The Shepherds didn't just settle back into their places and remark, "Well that was weird." Even in the re-darkened sky they believed what had been told them and went and found the child of the promise. Luke also tells us that the shepherds returned from their midnight foray "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard." The encounter didn't end with the angels disappearing into the sky, nor, I think, with that night, and we too should not let our experience with the incarnation disappear with December 25th. Let us go on our way rejoicing and praising God.
To God the Father, Christ the Son, And Holy Ghost ador'd: The First and Last, the Last and First, Eternal praise afford,
Eternal praise afford!
I'll see you tomorrow for our twelfth and final carol of this year's advent season,
This year, I discovered that Latin is my favourite language to sing in. It doesn't seem to matter that I only understand it haltingly. Perhaps it's the way Latin songs flow, or the fact that Latin songs are generally sacred. There's something about the way the words flow set to music that makes me so very happy.
I know we started off the season with a macaronic text which contained Latin sentences, but this carol set would not be complete without an entire Latin song of its own.
This time I chose the beautiful ancient text "Creator Alme Siderum" originally, "Conditor Alme Siderum." It was originally written in the 7th century with the latter title, "Creator of The Stars of Night," but was adapted by some pope in the 1600's to conform to common meter. Unfortunately the "tweaking" changed the hymn immensely from what it was, which was only a recent discovery. The two may as well be different songs. However, this new hymn, while you know I don't appreciate people messing with other people's poetry like that, is still a lovely text and chant.
In this case I will share the recording first in which they are singing the Latin text, and add the English translation below for you to follow along. This is my favourite arrangement of the chant by Richard Buchard.
In case you aren't aware, the term "holy Paraclete" in the last stanza is an old term for the Holy Spirit.
1. Creator of the starry skies!
Eternal Light of all who live!
Jesus, Redeemer of mankind!
An ear to Thy poor suppliants give.
2. When man was sunk in sin and death,
Lost in the depth of Satan's snare,
Love brought Thee down to cure our ills,
By taking of those ills a share.
3. Thou, for the sake of guilty men,
Causing Thine own pure blood to flow,
Didst issue from Thy virgin shrine
And to the cross a Victim go.
4. So great the glory of Thy might,
If we but chance Thy name to sound
At once all heaven and hell unite
In bending low with awe profound.
5. Great Judge of all! in that last day
When friends shall fail and foes combine,
Be present then with us, we pray,
To guard us with Thine arm divine.
6. Power, honor, praise, and glory,
to God the Father and the Son,
and also to the holy Paraclete,
while eternal ages run.
I love how this song not only celebrates Christ's first coming but looks forward with eagerness to His second coming and the final restoration of all things. And, of course, no ancient Latin hymn would be complete without some sort of "Gloria Patri" at the end, and this one does not disappoint. I half wonder if we shouldn't bring this back into our church singing. Ending each song with a threefold gloria to the Triune God seems to be a solid tradition. What are your thoughts? And, let me know what your favourite language to sing in is, and why.
As I considered the carol for today, as well as listening to an exhorbitant number of interpretations on youtube, looking for one that I wanted, I realized that this might be one of the simplest, most straightforward presentations of the gospel I have ever encountered in a Christmas carol.
Written in Gaelic by Mary MacDougal of Scotland, this three stanza carol feels at first like a set of cliche, overly wrung, trite Christian phrases, but as I read over Lachlan Macbean's translation, a sense of the song's true significance struck me for the first time.
I've heard and played this carol multiple times over the past several years, but I always considered it rather basic. I guess it is basic, the gospel, that is. Take a look at the words:
Child in the manger, infant of Mary,
Outcast and stranger, Lord of all;
Child who inherits all our transgressions,
All our demerits on Him fall.
Once the most holy Child of salvation
Gently and lowly lived below;
Now, as our glorious, mighty Redeemer,
See Him victorious o’er each foe.
Prophets foretold Him, infant of wonder,
Angels behold Him on His throne;
Worthy our Savior of all our praises;
Happy forever are His own.
It's as simple as that. What is the gospel? Literally translated as "good news," the gospel is that God became man born of a woman, a virgin, lived a perfect life and died the death of a criminal, taking upon himself the transgressions of all of those who are His. He rose from the dead, victorious over death and every sin, and he now sits at the right hand of the Father to make intersession for us.
In a nutshell, that, friends, is the gospel. Christmas is the epicenter of all that, the "incarnation," if we were to speak Christianese, and it seems to me that there is no more fitting occasion on which to sing of the gospel than at Christmastime.
In the end, this might be one of my favourite discoveries this year. I had originally put it in as one of the carols I needed for a filler because finding twelve unique Christmas carols isn't always the easiest task in the world, especially as my pool gets smaller each year I do this. However, it turns out I needed this one not just as a filler, but as an essential piece.
I needed to be reminded about the gospel, about the beauty of it and its simplicity. I needed to see the full picture clearly again.
As you listen to this very quiet, minimalist rendition, may it fill your mind afresh and may you bring God glory in it. May He receive all the glory for sending the Word to become flesh and dwell among us.
I'll see you tomorrow for something even more poignant!
Alright, this doesn't really have anything to do with lullabys or cradles. This one is a beautiful song speaking from the perspective of the magi who came to visit Jesus approximately two years after his birth. Even if they weren't there on the day, they are inextricably linked to the Christmas story.
I don't have much to wax eloquent on today regarding the thoughts of the wisemen, or their perspectives on the matter. I will say that we witness in Scripture a group of very humble and, indeed, wise men. They followed God's warning and did not return to Herod with the location of Jesus' whereabouts. They worshiped the child even though they found him in a lowly little town, and probably in a lowly house too. They gave him gifts that would have been of immense practical value for Mary and Joseph as well as having great symbolic resonance, and they acurately recognized Jesus as king of the Jews while his own people were still scratching their heads over it.
There may have been three, there may have been seven, we don't know, but I often think how much I should have liked to meet these men and have a conversation with them about everything, not just the star and how they made it to Judea. They must have been fascinating, insightful individuals. Perhaps I shall meet them in heaven.
For now, this lovely modern song written for choir will have to do. Getting to sing this in concert three years ago was one of my favourite moments.
There really isn't a good quality version of this on youtube, this is one of the better ones, though it's much nicer with more voices. Here are the words for reference:
Where is He, O where is He?
His star blazes in the night;
As we chase the changing skies,
He is hiding from our sight.
Can you tell us where he lies?
We would worship Him tonight,
And will journey 'till we find,
And our search is turned to sight.
Your guiding light shows us the way,
We see your morning star ascend!
To you, dear Christ, all searches come,
In You our journey finds its end.
The star beams its golden ray,
Over sleepy Bethlehem.
Where with joy we find the child,
And with gifts we worship him.
While we thought we came to you
In a little starlit place,
It was you who came to us,
Christ the glory of God's face.
I just love those words, especially the last verse. Many of us, at the beginning of our Christian walk imagine that we found Christ, but the longer we walk with Him the more we realize that it was He who came to us all along. That, friends is what Christmas is about. Emmanuel, God with us, God come down to us, wretched as we are we could not reach out to Him. What glory and what grace.
Due to an appalling lack of time, today's post will not only be brief, but will also recycle a carol I shared in this series a few years ago. It's been long enough that I think many of you reading this now may have either forgotten about this carol or weren't even following my blog at this time.
Remember...that's the key word here. God tells us to remember so many times throughout the scriptures, and repeats Himself with the same goal in mind. We so easily forget. We so easily lapse into a state of blissful oblivion. It's much easier to blame our problems on ignorance than inattention.
When I was growing up, forgetting was never an excuse for negligence. The excuse "I forgot" was responded to with, "If it had been important enough to you, you would have remembered."
We all have varying degrees of memory retention, I know I have been blessed with an especially high retention rate(which only makes me more culpable in cases of mindlessness), but regardless, there are somethings that we are all called upon to keep in our heads regardless of any external circumstances which might threaten otherwise.
Yesterday, I asked you to join John Newton who's memory was nearly gone in his old age, and yet he still clung to those most important things. When I was a teenager, there was a girl my age who's grandmother was suffering from Alzheimer's. The grandmother was an earnest Christian and I propounded a question to my friend that had been bothering me: "Does she forget that she's a Christian?" I asked. The girl shook her head emphatically, "That's not how it works." She said, "Sometimes she'll pray for someone in the morning and then forget that she prayed for that person a few hours later and pray for him again, but she doesn't forget God. That's just something you don't forget."
Those words stuck with me so that I can still hear her saying it, "That's just something you don't forget."
There are somethings you don't forget. They are so important to you that you don't, dare I say, you can't forget. My mother's words echo true once again, "If it were important enough to you, you would remember."
I have taken this truth as a standard to test how important something actually is to me. I may tell myself it's important, but if I'm constantly forgetting about it, for whatever reason, I seriously question my heart with regards to that thing. Sometimes that thing is something that really ought to be more important to me and so it becomes a focal point of my prayers and actions. "Remember!" I remind myself, "Don't let me forget."
....Because value and memory are directly linked.
You go up about three levels in my estimation if you already know what Christmas song I'm going to introduce now. If not, that's okay, it's time to learn it.
A beautiful Medaeval Christmas Carol, Remember, O Thou Man
Yes, you should read through all ten verses, even if the ensemble isn't singing them all. They're all excellent.
1. Remember, O thou Man,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
Remember, O thou Man,
Thy time is spent.
Remember, O thou Man,
How thou camest to me then,
And I did what I can.
Therefore repent.
2. Remember Adam's fall,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
Remember Adam's fall
From Heaven to Hell.
Remember Adam's fall,
How we were condemned all
To Hell perpetual,
There for to dwell.
3. Remember God's goodness,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
Remember God's goodness
And promise made.
Remember God's goodness,
How his only Son he sent
Our sins for to redress.
Be not afraid.
4. The Angels all did sing,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
The Angels all did sing
On Sion hill.
The Angels all did sing
Praises to our Heavenly King,
And peace to man living,
With right good will.
5. The Shepherds amazed was,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
The Shepherds amazed was
To hear the Angels sing.
The Shepherds amazed was
How this should come to pass.
That Christ our Messias
Should be our King.
6. To Bethlehem did they go,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
To Bethlehem did they go
This thing to see.
To Bethlehem did they go
To see whether it was so,
Whether Christ was born or no,
To set us free.
7. As the Angels before did say,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
As the Angels before did say.
So it came to pass.
As the Angels before did say.
They found him wrapt in hay
In a manger where he lay.
So poor he was.
8. In Bethlehem was he born,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
In Bethlehem was he born
For mankind dear.
In Bethlehem was he born
For us that were forlorn.
And therefore took no scorn
Our sins to bear.
9. In a manger laid he was,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
In a manger laid he was
At this time present.
In a manger laid he was.
Between an ox and an ass,
And all for our trespass,
Therefore repent.
10. Give thanks to God always,
O thou Man, O thou Man,
Give thanks to God always
With hearts most jolly.
Give thanks to God always
Upon this blessed day.
Let all men sing and say,
Holy, Holy.
Now that you've had the full dose, here it is, coupled with the haunting modal tune sung so beautifully by one of my favourite vocal groups, The King's Singers.
Yes, you should learn this one too. Don't forget any of it, Adam's fall, or God's goodness, they're both integral to the Christmas message: Great sinners and a Great saviour.
The carol I'm sharing today is probably familiar to most of you and I know I've shared it multiple times, but I'm sharing it again because I just love it. Once again, this establishes my claim that German carols are some of the best there are.
I'm going to go ahead and share the German and English lyrics side by side because, once again, the original meaning kind of got lost in the more poetic translations.
1. Still, still, still,
weil’s Kindlein schlafen will!
Maria tut es nieder singen,
ihre keusche Brust darbringen,
Still, still, still,
weil’s Kindlein schlafen will!
1. Hush, hush, hush,
for the little child wants wants to sleep!
Maria sings to him,
offers him her chaste breast.
Hush, hush, hush,
for the little child wants to sleep.
2. Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,
mein liebes Kind schlaf!
Die Engel tun schon musizieren,
bei dem Kindlein jubilieren.
Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,
mein liebes Kind schlaf!
2. Sleep, sleep, sleep,
my dear child sleep!
The angels are making beautiful music,
celebrating the little child
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
my dear child sleep.
3. Groß, groß, groß,
die Lieb’ ist übergroß!
Gott hat den Himmelsthron verlassen,
und muss reisen auf der Strassen.
Groß, groß, groß,
die Lieb’ ist übergroß.
3. Great, great, great,
the love is enormous!
God has left his heavenly throne
and must travel on the road.
Great, great, great,
the love is enormous!
4. Wir, wir, wir,
tun rufen all zu Dir:
Tu uns des Himmels Reich aufzuschließen,
wenn wir einmal sterben müssen.
Wir, wir, wir,
tun rufen all zu Dir.
4.We, we, we,
are all calling to Thee:
Open up the heavenly realm to us,
when we once must die.
We, we, we,
are all calling out to Thee.
Isn't it beautiful? I love the third verse. God's love is, indeed, enormous, beyond all bounds to have done such a thing. To die for our sin, to come down and take on the mantle of human flesh. It does call for stillness and quiet. A time for contemplation and reflection. Is your Christmas season feeling hectic? Take a moment to stop and remember what it's all about. Take a moment to recall the greatness of God's love such great sinners as we are. Let us all call out to Him this Christmastide.
This video isn't the greatest in terms of lyrics, and, honestly, this should be sung in German, but I think this captures the proper feel of the carol, and you can sing along with the words above.
If you forget everything else this season, join John Newton in remembering two things, that you are a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour. That will carry you through most everything.
I didn't intend it, but I've realized that all my songs this year seem to be centered around the ignominy of the cradle and are either lullabys or refer to the manger in some specific sense. Today's carol is no exception. On the other side of the centuries from Bach, today's carol comes to us from one of my favourite American Singers, Jazz musicians and performers from the early half of the twentieth century. There's something about this guy and his music that has me coming back again and again.
I'm super grateful that he lived in a time where his voice could be recorded. However, not just that, but the content of his songs were exceedingly rich, especially considering what most of his contemporaries were producing. Many of you may be familiar with his song, When I Fall in Love, or the last song he wrote before he was claimed by cancer, L-O-V-E but how many of you have ever heard this achingly sweet lullaby, A Cradle in Bethlehem?
Take a look at the lyrics:
Sing sweet and low your lullaby till angels say, "Amen." A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem while wise men follow through the dark a star that beckons them. A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem. "A little child shall lead them, " the prophets said of old. In storm and tempest keep 'em until the bells is tolled. Sing sweet and low your lullaby till angels say, "Amen." A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem. Sing sweet and low your lullaby.
A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem.
I love the imagery that this conveys, bringing together the prophecy from Isaiah, the wisemen on their way to Bethlehem, the star, the angels saying Amen when God judges the world, all converging around that cradle in Bethlehem, the center of it all.
And if you think that's beautiful, wait until you hear the music. One of the most powerful things I think music is capable of doing, is that of transporting you to a place, a time, a scene that you could otherwise never access, simply by conjuring the right blend of emotion. This song makes me feel the weight and reality of Jesus' birth, all the things that it brought together. All the things that hinge on that little manger in Bethlehem.
Listen to this beautiful lullaby and remember what great things the Lord has done for you. It might make you smile or it might make you weep...either way, let it transport you to that time and place, that focal point of all of history from the beginning of creation, until the point when the angels around the throne say, "Amen."
What do you think of that Cradle? What do you think of the one who chose to lie there?
I have little to say about today's carol. A German poem by Paul Gerhardt set to music by J.S. Bach. This is not because it is a poor song, but because it is so great, so complete. My blathering on would be unnecessary and annoying. Just reading these beautiful verses had tears springing to my eyes.
Since most of you reading this probably don't understand German, I will post the English translation beneath each verse. You're welcome. ;)
1. Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier, O Jesu du mein Leben; Ich komme, bring und schenke dir, Was du mir hast gegeben. Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn, Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.
I stand at your manger here, oh Jesus, you, my life. I come and bring and present to you the things you have give to me: receive it, it is my spirit and mind, my heart, my soul, my courage, take it all and let it please you.
2. Da ich noch nicht geboren war, Da bist du mir geboren Und hast mich dir zu eigen gar, Eh ich dich kannt, erkoren. Eh ich durch deine Hand gemacht, Da hast du schon bei dir bedacht, Wie du mein wolltest werden.
When I was not born yet, you were born for me, and have chosen me to be your own before I even knew you. Before I was made by your hand, you have thought already, about how you would become mine.
3. Ich lag in tiefster Todesnacht, Du warest meine Sonne, Die Sonne die mir zugebracht Licht, Leben, Freud und Wonne. O Sonne, die das werte Licht Des Glaubens in mir zugericht't, Wie schön sind deine Strahlen.
I lay in the deepest night of death, and you became my sun; the sun that brought me light, life, joy and delight. O sun, who fitted me with the worthy light of faith, how beautiful are your rays!
4. Ich sehe dich mit Freuden an Und kann mich nicht satt sehen; Und weil ich nun nichts weiter kann, Bleib ich anbetend stehen. O daß mein Sinn ein Abgrund wär Und meine Seel ein weites Meer, Daß ich dich möchte fassen !
I look at you with such great joy and cannot tire of it; and because I am not able to do anything else, I will just stand here in adoration. O, that my mind were a huge canyon and my soul a wide ocean that I might be able to hold you.
5.Wann oft mein Herz vor Kummer weint Und keinen Trost kann finden, Da ruft mir's zu: "Ich bin dein Freund, Ein Tilger deiner Sünden. Was trauerst du, o Bruder mein? Du sollst ja guter Dinge sein, Ich sühne deine Schulden."
Whenever my heart weeps with sorrow, and can find no comfort, Then you call out to me: "I am your friend, the forgiver of your sins. Why do you grieve, oh you my brother? You shall be of good cheer, as I pay for all your guilt."
6. O daß doch so ein lieber Stern Soll in der Krippen liegen ! Für edle Kinder großer Herrn Gehören güldne Wiegen. Ach Heu und Stroh ist viel zu schlecht, Samt, Seide, Purpur wären recht, Dies Kindlein drauf zu legen !
Oh, that such a dear star, should lie in the lowly manger! Noble children of great Lords have golden cradles. The hay and staw is much too lowly; velvet, silk and purple would be appropriate as bedding for this child.
7.Nehm weg das Stroh, nehm weg das Heu! Ich will mir Blumen holen, Daß meines Heilands Lager sei Auf lieblichen Violen; Mit Rosen, Nelken, Rosmarin Aus schönen Gärten will ich ihn Von oben her bestreuen.
Take way the straw and the hay, I will go and fetch flowers, which shall be the bedding of my Savior, so he can lie on lovely violets; also from above I will strew him with roses, carnations and rosemary from the beautiful gardens.
8. Du fragest nicht nach Lust der Welt Noch nach des Leibes Freuden; Du hast dich bei uns eingestellt, An unsrer Statt zu leiden, Suchst meiner Seele Herrlichkeit Durch dein selbsteignes Herzeleid; Das will ich dir nicht wehren.
Yet, you do not care not for the desires of this world, or the joys of the body; you have arrived to be with us and suffer in our stead, to seek the beauty of my soul through your own suffering of heart; --I will not prevent you.
9. Eins aber hoff ich wirst du mir, Mein Heiland, nicht versagen: Daß ich dich möge für und für In meinem Herzen tragen. So laß mich doch dein Kripplein sein; Komm, komm und lege bei mir ein Dich und all deine Freuden !
I just hope for one thing that I might do, which you will not deny me --that I might carry you henceforth in my heart. So let ME be your cradle; come, come and lodge with me, you and all your joys!
10. Zwar sollt ich denken, wie gering Ich dich bewirten werde: Du bist der Schöpfer aller Ding, Ich bin nur Staub und Erde. Doch du bist so ein frommer Gast, Daß du noch nie verschmähet hast Den der dich gerne siehet.
I know I should realize how humbly I will serve you: you are the creator of all things, I am just dust and ashes. But you are such a pious guest, that you have never cast aside one who loves to see you.
I couldn't find a video in which they sang all the verses and so went with one containing a fair number of them which seemed to convey the spirit of the text well. There are faster versions, but the first time through, it's lovely slower so that you can really hear all the harmonies.
Let me know your initial thoughts. And now, I hope you agree with me that Christmas carols sung in German are perhaps the best there are. :)
In all seriousness, though, these lyrics are so poignant. The next to last verse echoes a cry that should be in all of us: "Let me be thy cradle. Let me carry thee in my heart!" This is my prayer as I grow more and more in the likeness of Christ that all might see by looking at me and my life, who it is cradled there within my heart.
