What Child is this who, laid to rest On Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary. Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christians, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The cross be borne for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh, Come peasant, king to own Him; The King of kings salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. Raise, raise a song on high, The virgin sings her lullaby. Joy, joy for Christ is born, The Babe, the Son of Mary.
MIDI from Colorado Computer sequencer unknown
info from Montrose Music:
This melody is the beautiful Greensleeves. It dates from Elizabethan time, possibly even earlier. The song was first registered in 1850 to Richard Jones with lyrics that were neither religious nor repectable. Shakespeare mentions it by name in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in which is it played while traitors are hanged. In 1865 William Chatterton Dix (English) wrote "The Manger Throne", three verses of which became "What Child Is This."
info from Lesley Nelson
"The earliest reference to Greensleeves was in 1580. Shakespeare refers to it in The Merry Wives of Windsor. A reading of the lyrics shows it is not a sweet, innocuous love song, but a plea from a 16th century sugar daddy to his bored mistress. There are countless versions of the lyrics." . . . The tune was probably not written by Henry VIII, but he may have written lyrics to it. William Chatterton Dix wrote the Christmas carol What Child is This to the tune.