| |
I
AS I pass’d by a river side, | |
| And there as I did reign, | |
| In argument I chanced to hear | |
| A Carnal and a Crane. | |
| |
II
The Carnal said unto the Crane, | 5 |
| ‘If all the world should turn, | |
| Before we had the Father, | |
| But now we have the Son! | |
| |
III
‘From whence does the Son come? | |
| From where and from what place?’— | 10 |
| He said, ‘In a manger, | |
| Between an ox and an ass!’ | |
| |
IV
‘I pray thee,’ said the Carnal, | |
| ‘Tell me before thou go’st, | |
| Was not the mother of Jesus | 15 |
| Conceived by the Holy Ghost?’— | |
| |
V
‘She was the purest Virgin, | |
| And the cleanest from sin; | |
| She was the handmaid of our Lord, | |
| And mother of our King.’— | 20 |
| |
VI
‘Where is the golden cradle | |
| That Christ was rockéd in? | |
| Where are the silken sheets | |
| That Jesus was wrapt in?’— | |
| |
VII
‘A manger was the cradle | 25 |
| That Christ was rockéd in; | |
| The provender the asses left | |
| So sweetly he slept on. | |
| |
VIII
‘There was a star in the West land, | |
| So bright did it appear | 30 |
| Into King Herod’s chamber, | |
| And where King Herod were. | |
| |
IX
‘The Wise Men soon espied it, | |
| And told the king on high, | |
| A princely babe was born that night | 35 |
| No king could e’er destroy. | |
| |
X
‘If this be true, King Herod said, | |
| As thou tellest unto me, | |
| This roasted cock that lies in the dish | |
| Shall crow full fences three. | 40 |
| |
XI
‘The cock soon freshly feathered was | |
| By the work of God’s own hand, | |
| And then three fences crowéd he | |
| In the dish where he did stand. | |
| |
XII
‘Rise up, rise up, you merry men all, | 45 |
| See that you ready be, | |
| All children under two years old | |
| Now slain they all shall be. | |
| |
XIII
‘Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph, | |
| And Mary, that was so pure, | 50 |
| They travelled into Egypt, | |
| As you shall find it sure. | |
| |
XIV
‘And when they came to Egypt’s land, | |
| Amongst those fierce wild beasts, | |
| Mary, she being weary, | 55 |
| Must needs sit down to rest. | |
| |
XV
‘Come sit thee down, says Jesus, | |
| Come sit thee down by me, | |
| And thou shalt see how these wild beasts | |
| Do come and worship me. | 60 |
| |
XVI
‘First came the lovely lion, | |
| Which Jesu’s grace did spring, | |
| And of the wild beasts in the field, | |
| The lion shall be the king. | |
| |
XVII
‘We’ll choose our virtuous princes, | 65 |
| Of birth and high degree, | |
| In every sundry nation, | |
| Where’er we come and see. | |
| |
XVIII
‘Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph, | |
| And Mary, that was unknown, | 70 |
| They travelled by a husbandman, | |
| Just while his seed was sown. | |
| |
XIX
‘God speed thee, man! said Jesus, | |
| Go fetch thy ox and wain, | |
| And carry home thy corn again, | 75 |
| Which thou this day hast sown. | |
| |
XX
‘The husbandman fell on his knees, | |
| Even before his face; | |
| Long time hast thou been looked for, | |
| But now thou art come at last. | 80 |
| |
XXI
‘And I myself do now believe | |
| Thy name is Jesus called; | |
| Redeemer of mankind thou art, | |
| Though undeserving all. | |
| |
XXII
‘The truth, man, thou hast spoken, | 85 |
| Of it thou may’st be sure, | |
| For I must lose my precious blood | |
| For thee and thousands more. | |
| |
XXIII
‘If any one should come this way, | |
| And inquire for me alone, | 90 |
| Tell them that Jesus passéd by, | |
| As thou thy seed did sow. | |
| |
XXIV
‘After that there came King Herod, | |
| With his train so furiously, | |
| Inquiring of the husbandman, | 95 |
| Whether Jesus passéd by. | |
| |
XXV
‘Why, the truth it must be spoke, | |
| And the truth it must be known, | |
| For Jesus passéd by this way | |
| When my seed was sown. | 100 |
| |
XXVI
‘But now I have it reapen, | |
| And some laid on my wain, | |
| Ready to fetch and carry | |
| Into my barn again. | |
| |
XXVII
‘Turn back, says the Captain, | 105 |
| Your labour and mine ’s in vain, | |
| It’s full three-quarters of a year | |
| Since he his seed has sown. | |
| |
XXVIII
‘So Herod was deceivèd | |
| By the work of God’s own hand, | 110 |
| And further he proceeded | |
| Into the Holy Land. | |
| |
XXIX
‘There’s thousands of children young, | |
| Which for his sake did die,— | |
| Do not forbid those little ones, | 115 |
| And do not them deny. | |
| |
XXX
‘The truth now I have spoken, | |
| And the truth now I have shown | |
| Even the blessed Virgin, | |
| She ’s now brought forth a Son.’ | 120 |
| | | GLOSS: Carnal] crow. reign] run. fences] times. |
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