Thank you to everyone who left a footnote to tell me your favorite Christmas song! (If you haven’t yet, your’re not too late!). I really enjoyed reading them. It appears that the song Mary Did You Know is a very popular favorite among many, understandably since it is such a beautiful song! :)
Well, I promised y’all my favorite so here it is:
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (the music is so pretty!)
words: verses 1-2, 15th Century carol, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, translated from German to English by Theodore Baker, 1894. Verses 3-4, Friedrich Layritz, translated by Harriet Reynolds Krauth, 1875. Verse 5, translated or written by John C. Mattes, 1914
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as those of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.
This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.
O Savior, Child of Mary, Who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, Who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of heaven,
And to the endless day!
I am most familiar with verses 1 and 4, because these are the two in our hymnbook.
I also like While Sheperds Watched Their Flocks, and the music to O, Holy Night is beautiful!
