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I
MARK this song, for it is true, | |
| For it is true as clerkés tell: | |
| In old time strange things came to pass, | |
| Great wonder and great marvel was | |
| In Israel. | 5 |
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II
There was one Octavian, | |
| Octavian of Rome Emperour, | |
| As bookés old doe specify, | |
| Of all the wide world truëly | |
| He was lord and governour. | 10 |
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III
The Jews that time lackéd a king, | |
| They lackéd a king to guide them well, | |
| The Emperour of power and might, | |
| Chose one Herod against all right, | |
| In Israel. | 15 |
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IV
This Herod then was King of Jews | |
| Was King of Jews, and he no Jew. | |
| Forsooth he was a Paynim born, | |
| Wherefore on faith it may be sworn | |
| He reignéd King untrue. | 20 |
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V
By prophecy one Isaï, | |
| One Isaï at least did tell | |
| A child should come (wondrous news) | |
| That should be born true King of Jews | |
| In Israel. | 25 |
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VI
This Herod knew one born should be, | |
| One born should be of true lináge, | |
| That should be right heritour; | |
| For he but by the Emperour | |
| Was made by usurpage. | 30 |
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VII
Wherefore of thought this King Herod, | |
| This King Herod in great fear fell, | |
| For all the days most in his mirth, | |
| Ever he fearéd Christ his birth | |
| In Israel. | 35 |
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VIII
The time came it pleaséd God, | |
| It pleaséd God so to come to pass, | |
| For man’s soul indeed | |
| His blessed Son was born with speed | |
| As his will was. | 40 |
| |
IX
Tidings came to King Herod, | |
| To King Herod, and did him tell, | |
| That one born forsooth is he, | |
| Which lord and king of all shall be | |
| In Israel. | 45 |
| |
X
Herod then raged as he were wode, | |
| As he were wode of this tidíng, | |
| And sent for all his scribés sure, | |
| Yet would he not trust the Scripture, | |
| Nor of their counselling. | 50 |
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XI
Then this was the conclusion, | |
| The conclusion of his counsél; | |
| To send unto his knights anon | |
| To slay the children every one | |
| In Israel. | 55 |
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XII
This cruel king this tyranny, | |
| This tyranny did put in ure; | |
| Between a day and years two | |
| All men-children he did slew, | |
| Of Christ for to be sure. | 60 |
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XIII
Yet Herod miss’d his cruel prey, | |
| His cruel prey as was God’s will; | |
| Joseph with Mary then did flee; | |
| With Christ to Egypt gone was she | |
| From Israel. | 65 |
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XIV
All the while these tyránts, | |
| These tyránts would not convert, | |
| But innocents ying | |
| That lay sucking, | |
| They thrust to the heart. | 70 |
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XV
This Herod sought the children ying, | |
| The children ying, with courage fell, | |
| But in doing this vengeánce | |
| His own son was slain by chance | |
| In Israel. | 75 |
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XVI
Alace! I think the mothers were woe, | |
| The mothers were woe, it was great skill: | |
| What motherly pain | |
| To see them slain | |
| In cradles lying still! | 80 |
| |
XVII
But God Himself hath them elect, | |
| Hath them elect, in heaven to dwell: | |
| For they were bathéd in their blood, | |
| For their Baptism forsooth it stood | |
| In Israel. | 85 |
| |
XVIII
Alace! again what hearts had they, | |
| What hearts had they those babes to kill! | |
| With swords when they them caught, | |
| In cradles they lay and laught, | |
| And never thought ill. | 90 |
| | | GLOSS: wode] mad. ure] practice. ying] young. skill] reason. |
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