> Steeleye Span > Songs > See, Amid the Winter’s Snow

See, Amid the Winter’s Snow

[ Roud 27069 ; Edward Caswall, John Goss]

See, Amid the Winter’s Snow is a Victorian Christmas carol. It was written by Edward Caswall (1814-1878) and published in 1858 as part of The Masque of Mary and Other Poems. In 1871, Sir John Goss (1800-1880) wrote the tune Humility specifically for this carol.

Maddy Prior sang See Amid the Winter’s Snow on her 1991 album with the Carnival Band, Carols and Capers. She returned to this song in 2004 when she recorded it with Steeleye Span for their CD Winter.

Corncrow sang See Amid the Winter’s Snow in 2012 on their EP Christmas Dinner for Horses.

Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker sang See Amid the Winter’s Snow in 2013 on their CD Midwinter.

The Albion Christmas Band sang See Amid the Winter’s Snow in 2016 on their Talking Elephant CD Magic Touch.

Kate Rusby sang See Amid the Winter’s Snow on her 2017 CD Angels & Men.

Lyrics

Maddy Prior sings See Amid the Winter’s Snow on Winter

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Hail, thou ever blessed morn,
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn,
Sing through all Jerusalem:
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

See amid the winter’s snow,
Born for us on earth below,
See, the tender Lamb appears,
Promised from eternal years.

Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He who, throned in height sublime,
Sits amid the cherubim.

Say, ye holy shepherds say,
What your joyful news today?
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?

As we watched at dead of night,
Lo, we saw a wondrous sight;
Angels singing “Peace on Earth”
Told us of our Saviour’s birth.

Sacred infant, all divine,
What a tender love was thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this.

Teach, O teach us, holy Child,
By thy face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble thee
In thy sweet humility.