_Noel, noel, noel, noel!
This is the salutation of Gabriel!_
Tidings true
There be come new,
Sent from the Trinity,
By Gabriel from Nazareth
A city of Galilee!
A clean maiden,
A pure virgin,
By her humility
Hath born the Person
Second in divinity!
_Noel!_
When that He presented was
Before her fair visage,
In most demure and goodly wise
He did to her homage!
"I am sent, Lady,
From heaven so high,
That Lord's heritage,
For He of thee
Now born will be,
I am sent on the message!"
_Noel!_
"Hail, Virgin celestial!
The meekest that ever was
Hail, temple of the Deity
Hail, Virgin pure!
I thee ensure,
Within a little space
Thou shalt conceive,
And Him receive
That shall bring great solace."
_Noel!_
Then bespake the Virgin again,
And answered womanly,
"Whatsoever my Lord commandeth me
I will obey truly!
Ecce, sum humillima
Ancilla domini,
Secundum verbum tuum
fiat mihi!
_Noel!_
_Man, move thy mind and joy this feast,
Veritas de terra orta est!_
As I came by the way
I saw a sight seemly to see,
Three shepherds ranging in a kay,
Upon the field keeping their fee.
A star, they said, they did espy,
Casting the beams out of the east,
And angels making melody
_Veritas de terra orta est!_
Upon that sight they were aghast,
Saying these words, as I say thee:
"To Bethlehem shortly let us haste,
And there we shall the truthe see!"
The angel said unto them all three,
To their comfort or ever be ceased,
"_Consolamini and merry be,
Veritas de terra orta est!_"
From heaven, out of the highest see,
Righteousness hath taken the way,
With mercy meddled plenteously,
And so conceived in a may,
Miranda res this is in fay!
So saith the prophet in his gest;
Now is He born, scripture doth say:
_Veritas de terra orta est!_
Then passed the shepherds from that place,
And followed by the starres beam,
That was so bright afore their face,
It brought them straight unto Bethlem.
So bright it shone, on all the realm
Till they came there they would not rest,
To Jewry and Jerusalem!
_Veritas de terra orta est!_
_All this time this song is best:
Verbum caro factum est!_
This night there is a child born
That sprang out of Jesse's thorn;
We must sing and say thereforn
_Verbum caro factum est!_
Jesus is the child's name,
And Mary mild is his dame;
All our sorrow shall turn to game,
_Verbum caro factum est!_
It fell upon high midnight,
The stars shone both fair and bright,
The angels sang with all their might
_Verbum caro factum est!_
Now kneel we down on our knee,
And pray we to the Trinity,
Our help, our succour for to be!
_Verbum caro factum est!_
_Now sing we, sing we,
Gloria tibi domine!_
Christ keep us all, as he well can,
A solis ortus cardine!
For He is both God and man,
Qui natus est de virgine!
_Sing we, etc._
As He is Lord both day and night,
Venter puellae baiulat,
So is Mary mother of might,
Secreta quae non noverat.
_Sing we, etc_.
The holy breast of chastity,
verbo concepit filium,
So brought before the Trinity,
Ut castitatis lilium!
_Sing we, etc_.
Between an ox and an ass
enixa est puerpera;
In poor clothing clothed He was
[Qui] regnat super aethera!
_Sing we, etc_.