What Child is This?

What Child is This?

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!

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 the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Greensleeves lyrics:
Alas, my love, you do me wrong to cast me off discourtiously,
For I have loved you so long, delighting in your company.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

I bought thee petticoats of the best, the weave as fine as might ever be;
I bought thee jewels for thy chest, and yet thou wouldst not love me.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

I bought thee kerchers to thy head, the cloth as fine as might ever be;
I kept thee both at board and bed, which cost my purse wellfavor’dly.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

My men were clothed all in green, and they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen, and yet thou wouldst not love me.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

They set thee up, they took thee down, they serv’d thee with humility;
Thy foot might not once touch the ground, and yet thou wouldst not love me.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

Well, I will pray to God on high that thou my constancy mayest see;
And that yet once, before I die, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to love me.

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

And now, Greensleeves! Farewell! Adieu! To God I pray to prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true, come once again and love me!

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleves was my delight;
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady, Greensleeves?

Origin

The lyrics of “What Child is This” were composed in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, an English writer and insurance company manager, while he was recovering from a near-fatal illness and in a deep depression. He was 29 years old at the time. The song is sung to the traditional 16th-century melody, “Greensleeves,” whose own lyrics have sometimes been interpreted as a plea to a woman who may, or may not, have been a woman of ill-repute.

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