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A BOY IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM

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 Prae­to­ri­us, 1609. Har­mo­ny by George R. Wood­ward, 1910 (🔊 ).

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.