In the bleak midwinter
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Lyricist: Christina Rossetti
General information
A poem by Christina Rossetti (1830-94) which has been set to music famously by Harold Darke and Gustav Holst and also by other composers.
Settings by composers
- Bob Chilcott (still under copyright)
- Harold Darke (omits verse 4)
- Gustav Holst
- Thomas B. Strong (no edition on CPDL yet)
- Mick Swithinbank
- Eric Thiman (still under copyright)
- Robert C. L. Watson (still under copyright)
Original text and translations
English text
- 1.
- In the bleak midwinter frosty winds made moan,
- Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
- Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
- In the bleak midwinter long ago.
- 2.
- Our God, Heav'n cannot hold him nor earth sustain;
- Heav'n and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign:
- In the bleak midwinter astable place sufficed.
- The Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ.
- 3.
- Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day,
- A breastful of milk and a mangerful of hay:
- Enough for him, whom angels fall down before,
- The ox and ass and camel which adore.
- 4.
- Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
- Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
- but only his mother in her maiden bliss
- Worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.
- 5.
- What can I give him poor as I am?
- If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
- If I were a Wise Man I would do my part,
- Yet what I can I give him, give my heart.