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The Golden Carol / Now Is Christmas Ycome

[ Roud - ; Ballad Index OBB107 ; words anon., 15^th century, melody Ralph Vaughan Williams]

Now ys Crystemas ycum, British Museum, MS. Harley 541, 15^th century, is printed in Richard Leighton Green: The Early English Carols (1971), pp.84-85.

Now Is Christmas Ycome is printed in Edith Rickert: Ancient English Christmas Carols 1400 to 1700 (1910), pp.110-111.

Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band sang The Golden Carol in 2010 on their Park CD Vaughan Williams: Carols, Songs & Hymns.

Lyrics

Now Is Christmas Ycome in Ancient English Christmas Carols 1400 to 1700

Now is Christmas ycome,
Father and Son together in one,
Holy Ghost, as ye be one,
in fere-a,
God send us a good New Year-a!

I would you sing for an I might,
Of a Child is fair in sight,
His mother him bare this endernight
so still-a,
And as it was His will-a.

There came three kings fro Galilee
Into Bethlehem, that fair city,
To seek Him that ever should be
by right-a,
Lord and king and knight-a.

And they came forth with their offering,
They met with Herod, that moody king,
[He asked them of their coming]
this tide-a,
And this to them he said-a:

“Of whence be ye, you kingës three?”
“Of the East, as you may see,
To seek Him that ever should be
by right-a,
Lord and king and knight-a.”

“When you at this child have be,
Come home again by me,
Tell me the sight that you have see,
I pray you;
Go you no other way-a.”

They took their leave, both old and ying,
Of Herod, that moody king;
They went forth with their offering
by light-a,
By the star that shone so bright-a.

Till they came into the place
Where Jesus and His mother was,
Offered they up with great solace
in fere-a
Gold, incense, and myrrh-a.

The Father of heaven an angel down sent
To thiccy three kings that made present
this tide-a,
And this to them he said-a.

“My Lord hath warned you every one,
By Herod king you go not home;
For an you do, he will you slone
and strye-a
And hurt you wonderly-a.”"

Forth then went these kinges three,
Till they came home to their country;
Glad and blithe they were all three
Of the sight that they had see
bydene-a;
The company was clean-a.

Kneel we now here a-down,
Pray we in good devotion
To the King of great renown,
of grace-a,
In heaven to have a place-a.

Maddy Prior sings The Golden Carol

Now is Christemas y-come,
Father and Son together in one,
Holy Ghost, as ye be one,
in fere-a
God send us a good new year-a.

I will you sing with all my might,
Of a child so fair in sight,
A maiden bore on Christmas night
so still-a,
As it was his will-a.

Three kingès came from Galilee
To Bethlehem, that fair city,
For to offer and to see
by night-a,
It was a full fair sight-a.

As they came with their offering,
They met with Herod, that moody king,
He askèd them of their coming
that tide-a,
And thus to them he said-a:

“From whence come ye, you kingès three?”
“Out of the East, as ye may see,
To seek him that ever shall be
by right-a,
Lord and king and knight-a.”

They took their leave, both old and young,
Of Herod, that moody king,
And forth they went with their offering
by light-a,
By star that shone so bright-a.

When they came into the place,
Where Jesus with him mother was,
Offer’d they up with great solace
in fere-a,
Gold, incense and myrrh-a.

Kneel we now here a-down;
Pray we in good devotioun,
To that King of great renown
for grace-a,
In heav’n to have a place-a.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Tim McElwaine for Maddy Prior’s lyrics which are somewhat different from those printed in the album’s booklet.