Blessed Be That Maid Marie is an old English Christmas carol hailing the birth of Christ. The singers bless the Virgin, rejoicing that after thousands of years the day of Jesus' birth has finally arrived. This hymn is believed to have originated as early as the 15th century and is of unknown authorship. It employs both old English and Latin texts. Blessed Be That Maid Marie has also appeared with the titles Blyssid Be Yt Mayde Mary and Blyssid be that mayde Mary. The music derives from William Ballet's Lute Book - a collection of manuscripts dating from as early as 1590, and containing popular lute and viol pieces, as well as ballad tune arrangements.
Blessed be that Maid Marie;
Born He was of her body;
Very God ere time began,
Born in time the Son of man.
Refrain
Eya! Ihesus hodie
Natus est de Virgine.
In a manger of an ass
Jesus lay and lulled was;
Born to die upon the Tree
Pro peccante homine. Refrain
Sweet and blissful was the song
Changed of the Angel throng,
"Peace on earth," Alleluya.
In excelsis gloria. Refrain
Fare three Kings from far-off land,
Incense, gold and myrrh in hand;
In Bethlehem the Babe they see,
Stelle ducti lumine. Refrain
Make we merry on this fest,
In quo Christus natus est;
On this Child I pray you call,
To assoil and save us all. Refrain
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - The Cambridge Singers
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - Choir of Kings College, Cambridge (arr. Stephen Cleobury)
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - Trond Bengtson, lute (from William Ballet's Lute Book, setting and variations by Allan Alexander)
. . . and I couldn't help but add a number of other settings by composers who were inspired by these same beautiful words:
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - NTU Chorus (Korea) / Stephen Main, composer
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - arr. M. Zuccante
Blessed Be That Maid Marie - Amy Bebbington, composer
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