The Virgin's Song (Geoff Allan)

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• (Posted 2025-12-11)  CPDL #87753:       

Editor: Geoff Allan (submitted 2025-12-11).   Score information: A4, 8 pages, 956 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: First Edition December 11th 2025.

General Information

Title: The Virgin's Song
Composer: Geoff Allan
Lyricist: Anon translated from Harleian Man. 7322^{create page}
Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: S.SATB
Genre: Sacred, Carol, Christmas

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 2025
Description: A gentle a capella carol sung by Mary. Words from from the British Museum's Harleian Manuscript 7322, Folio 135. This carol uses a loose translation of the mediaeval English words shown below. The original words date from around 1375.

External websites:

• Composers web page http://allans.org.uk
• Score Video on Youtube https://youtu.be/YNpZ7TcECSk

Original text and translations

English text

Loose translation used
Jesu, son most sweet and dear,
Mean the bed you lie on here,
And that afflicts me sore,
For your cradle's like a bier,
Ox and ass are with you here,
And I must weep therefore.

Jesu, sweet one, show no wrath.
I have not the poorest cloth
To wrap you in its fold.
Not a rag in which to wrap,
Hold you safe upon my lap,
Against my breast to nap
And shield you from the cold.

Original 1375 text : (þ usually replaced by "th")
Iesu, swete sone dere!
On porful bed list þou here,
And þat me greusþ sore;
For þi cradel is asa a bere,
Oxe and asse beth þi fere;
Weope ich mai þar-fore.

Iesu, swete, beo noþ wroþ
þou ich nabbe clout me cloþ
þe on for to folde,
þe on to folde ne to wrappe;
For ich nabbe clout ne lappe;
Bote ley þou þi fet to my pappe,
And wite þe from the colde.