New Prince New Pomp
: ORIGINROBERT SOUTHWELL
Behold a simple, tender Babe,
In freezing winter night,
In homely manger trembling lies;
Alas! a piteous sight.
The inns are full; no man will yield
This little Pilgrim bed;
But forced he is with silly beasts
In crib to shroud his head.
Despise him not for lying there;
An Orient pearl is often found
In depth of dirty mire.
Weigh not his crib, his wooden dish,
Nor beasts that by him feed;
Weigh not his mother's poor attire,
Nor Joseph's simple weed.
This stable is a Prince's court,
The crib his chair of state;
The beasts are parcel of his pomp,
The wooden dish his plate.
The persons in that poor attire
His royal liveries wear;
The Prince himself is come from heaven:
This pomp is praised there.
With joy approach, O Christian wight!
Do homage to thy King;
And highly praise this humble pomp,
Which he from heaven doth bring.
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Christmas Carol
As Joseph was a-waukin' He heard an angel sing, This night shall be the birthnight Of Christ our heavenly King. His birth-bed shall be neither In housen nor in hall, Nor in the place of paradise, But in ... Christmas Carol
Listen, lordings, unto me, a tale I will you tell; Which, as on this night of glee, in David's town befell. Joseph came from Nazareth with Mary, that sweet maid; Weary were they nigh to death, and for a lodging prayed. In the ... Christmas Day
CHARLES WESLEY Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With the angelic ho... Christmas In The Olden Time
WALTER SCOTT On Christmas-eve the bells were rung; The damsel donned her kirtle sheen; The hall was dressed with holly green; Forth to the wood did merry men go, To gather in the mistletoe. Thus opened wide the baron... Christmas Song
EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS Calm on the listening ear of night Come heaven's melodious strains, Where wild Judea stretches far Her silver-mantled plains; Celestial choirs from courts above Shed sacred glories there; ... Christmas Song
LYDIA A.C. WARD Why do bells for Christmas ring? Why do little children sing? Once a lovely, shining star, Seen by shepherds from afar, Gently moved until its light Made a manger-cradle bright. There a darli... Church Decking At Christmas
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Would that our scrupulous sires had dared to leave Less scanty measure of those graceful rites And usages, whose due return invites A stir of mind too natural to deceive; Giving the memory help when... Cradle Hymn
ISAAC WATTS Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber; Holy angels guard thy bed; Heavenly blessings without number Gently falling on thy head. Sleep, my babe, thy food and raiment, House and home, thy friends pro... December
HARRIET F. BLODGETT I Oh! holly branch and mistletoe. And Christmas chimes where'er we go. And stockings pinned up in a row! These are thy gifts, December! II And if the year has made thee old, ... Fairy Faces
ANON Out of the mists of childhood, Steeped in a golden glory, Come dreamy forms and faces, Snatches of song and story; Whispers of sweet, still faces; Rays of ethereal glimmer, ... God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
DINAH MARIA MULOCK God rest ye, merry gentlemen; let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas-day. The dawn rose red o'er Bethlehem, the stars shone through the gray, When Jesus Christ, our Savi... God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
OLD CAROL God rest you, merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Was born upon this day. To save us all from Satan's pow'r When we were gone astray. O tidings of comfort ... Hang Up The Baby's Stocking
[Emily Huntington Miller] Hang up the baby's stocking: Be sure you don't forget; The dear little dimpled darling! She ne'er saw Christmas yet; But I've told her all about it, And she opened her big blue eyes, ... Hymn For Christmas
FELICIA HEMANS Oh! lovely voices of the sky Which hymned the Saviour's birth, Are ye not singing still on high, Ye that sang, Peace on earth? To us yet speak the strains Wherewith, in time gone by, ... Hymn For The Nativity
EDWARD THRING Happy night and happy silence downward softly stealing, Softly stealing over land and sea, Stars from golden censors swing a silent eager feeling Down on Judah, down on Galilee; And all the wistful air, ... Hymn On The Nativity
JOHN MILTON It was the winter wild, While the heaven-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Nature, in awe of him, Had doffed her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize: It was no s... In Excelsis Gloria
When Christ was born of Mary free, In Bethlehem, in that fair citie, Angels sang there with mirth and glee, _In Excelsis Gloria!_ Herdsmen beheld these angels bright, To them appearing with great light, Who sai... Mark Well My Heavy Doleful Tale
ANONYMOUS Mark well my heavy doleful tale, For Twelfth-day now is come, And now I must no longer sing, And say no words but mum; For I perforce must take my leave Of all my dainty cheer, Plum-porridge, roa... Masters In This Hall
ANONYMOUS To Bethlem did they go, the shepherds three; To Bethlem did they go to see whe'r it were so or no, Whether Christ were born or no To set men free. Masters, in this hall, Hear ye news to-day ... Merry Christmas
ANON In the rush of the merry morning, When the red burns through the gray, And the wintry world lies waiting For the glory of the day; Then we hear a fitful rushing Just without upon the stair, See two wh... Minstrels And Maids
WILLIAM MORRIS Outlanders, whence come ye last? _The snow in the street and the wind on the door._ Through what green seas and great have ye past? _Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor._ From far away, O ma... Neighbors Of The Christ Night
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH Deep in the shelter of the cave, The ass with drooping head Stood weary in the shadow, where His master's hand had led. About the manger oxen lay, Bending a wide-eyed gaze Upon the lit... New Prince New Pomp
ROBERT SOUTHWELL Behold a simple, tender Babe, In freezing winter night, In homely manger trembling lies; Alas! a piteous sight. The inns are full; no man will yield This little Pilgrim bed; But forced h... O Little Town Of Bethlehem
PHILLIPS BROOKS O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears ... Old Christmas Returned
All you that to feasting and mirth are inclined, Come here is good news for to pleasure your mind, Old Christmas is come for to keep open house, He scorns to be guilty of starving a mouse: Then come, boys, and welcome for diet t... Santa Claus
ANON He comes in the night! He comes in the night! He softly, silently comes; While the little brown heads on the pillows so white Are dreaming of bugles and drums. He cuts through the snow like a ship through the foa... Sery
RICHARD WATSON GILDER With wild surprise Four great eyes In two small heads, From neighboring beds Looked out--and winked-- And glittered and blinked At a very queer sight In the dim starlight. As pl... Sly Santa Claus
MRS. C.S. STONE All the house was asleep, And the fire burning low, When, from far up the chimney, Came down a Ho! ho! And a little, round man, With a terrible scratching, Dropped into the room With... So Now Is Come Our Joyfulst Feast
GEORGE WITHER So, now is come our joyfulst feast, Let every man be jolly; Each room with ivy leaves is drest, And every post with holly. Though some churls at our mirth repine, Round your foreheads garlands twine... Song Of The Holly
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Blow, blow thou winter wind-- Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude! Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude. He... The Adoration Of The Wise Men
CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER Saw you never in the twilight, When the sun had left the skies, Up in heaven the clear stars shining, Through the gloom like silver eyes? So of old the wise men watching, Saw a little st... The Angels
WILLIAM DRUMMOND Run, shepherds, run where Bethlehem blest appears. We bring the best of news; be not dismayed: A Saviour there is born more old than years, Amidst heaven's rolling height this earth who stayed. In a poo... The Birth Of Christ
ALFRED TENNYSON The time draws near the birth of Christ; The moon is hid--the night is still; The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist. Four voices of four hamlets round, From far a... The Boar's Head Carol
(Sung at Queen's College, Oxford.) The boar's head in hand bear I, Bedecked with bays and rosemary; And I pray you, my masters, be merry, Quot estis in convivio. _Caput apri defero Reddens laudes domino._ ... The Ceremonies For Christmas Day
ROBERT HERRICK Kindle the Christmas brand, and then Till sunset let it burn; Which quench'd, then lay it up again Till Christmas next return. Part must be kept wherewith to teend The Christmas log next year, ... The Christmas Carol
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH The minstrels played their Christmas tune To-night beneath my cottage eaves; While, smitten by a lofty moon, The encircling laurels, thick with leaves, Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen That ... The Christmas Fires
ANNE P.L. FIELD The Christmas fires brightly gleam And dance among the holly boughs, The Christmas pudding's spicy steam With fragrance fills the house, While merry grows each friendly soul Over the foaming wassa... The Christmas Holly
ELIZA COOK The holly! the holly! oh, twine it with bay-- Come give the holly a song; For it helps to drive stern winter away, With his garment so sombre and long; It peeps through the trees with its berries of red, ... The Christmas Silence
MARGARET DELAND Hushed are the pigeons cooing low On dusty rafters of the loft; And mild-eyed oxen, breathing soft, Sleep on the fragrant hay below. Dim shadows in the corner hide; The glimmering lantern's ra... The End Of The Play
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY The play is done--the curtain drops, Slow-falling to the prompter's bell: A moment yet the actor stops, And looks around, to say farewell. It is an irksome word and task; And, when h... The Glad Evangel
KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN When the Child of Nazareth was born, the sun, according to the Bosnian legend, leaped in the heavens, and the stars around it danced. A peace came over mountain and forest. Even the rotten stump stood straight and healthy ... The Glorious Song Of Old
EDMUND H. SEARS It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold, Peace on the earth, good-will to men, From heaven's all-gracious King... The Knighting Of The Sirloin Of Beef By Charles The Second
ANON The Second Charles of England Rode forth one Christmas tide, To hunt a gallant stag of ten, Of Chingford woods the pride. The winds blew keen, the snow fell fast, And made for earth a pall, As tired... The Mahogany-tree
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY Christmas is here; Winds whistle shrill, Icy and chill, Little care we; Little we fear Weather without, Sheltered about The Mahogany-Tree. Once on the boughs Birds of...