Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all;
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall.
With the poor, the scorned, the lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child who seemed so helpless
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads His children
Onto the place where He is gone.
---Cecil Frances Alexander,1848
Posts
6 comments:
Thanks for the good wishes Marie (and the great poetry)
This is a piece of music, isn't it? Can't remember where I heard it, though.
Yes, this IS a hymn/song (the full version was obviously written for Victorian children). The tune was written, also, in the 1800's by a man named "Henry Gauntlett." The tune reminds me somewhat of "Forest Green", the "alternate" tune for "O, Little Town of Bethlehem." They're both in 4/4 with lots of running 8th notes & are usually seen in the Key of "F."
Accidentally published the above comment twice, so deleted it. Darned old slow broadband!!!
We have a great recording of this...directed by Sir David Willcocks, if I remember right. I hadn't made the connection before to Forest Green (and didn't remember that there was a second tune for O Little Town until I looked it up and then recognized it).
This hymn's great strength is that it has so much Bible in it.
Hey, Jim! Got a picture now. I'm impressed! Some of this older stuff is so great in being filled with Biblical truths. And just on the page, without the music, you can see how many of the hymns read like poetry.
Post a Comment