The carols of the past few days (as you may have noticed: Day 4, Peter Cornelius: The Three Kings, Day 5, Rejoice and Be Merry, Day 6, March of the Three Kings, and Day 7, Jonathan Dove: The Three Kings), have all focused on the story of the Three Kings who came to see the Christ-child. The Adoration of the Magi was one of the most popular subjects for pictorial and dramatic representation in the Middle Ages; but carols on the theme are few and far between. Today's carol on this subject, Now Is Christmas Ycome, is an ancient carol from the 15th century, and it comes down to us in a number of different versions, and under a variety of titles: Now ye Crystemas y-cum, Now Ys The Twelthe Day Cum, The III Kings, The Three Kings, I Would Now Sing For And I Might, The Golden Carol, and Now Is Christmas Ycome.
Now is Christemas ycome,
Father and Son together in one,
Holy Ghost, as ye be one, - in fere-a,
God send us good New Year-a!
I will you sing with I might,
Of a Child so fair in sight,
A maiden bare on Christmas night - so still-a,
As it was His will-a.
Three kingës came fro Galilee
To Bethlehem, that fair city,
All to offer and to see - by night-a,
It was a full fair sight-a.
As they came forth with their offering,
They met with Herod, that moody king,
He asked them of their coming - that tide-a,
And thus to them he said-a:
"From whence come ye, you kingës 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 eld and ying,
Of Herod, that moody king;
And forth they went with their offering - by light-a,
"Legendary lore has provided for us three notable personages, Gasper, Melchior, and Balthasar, commonly known as the Magi, who, guided by the star, were present at or shortly after the Nativity. These were the wise men who, under the direction of the star, traveled to Bethlehem with their gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense - whence the practice of bestowing gifts at the season of the Nativity." (Joshua Sylvester, from his A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (1861)
To accompany the appearance of the Magi in medieval nativity plays, special music was composed in the manner of The Golden Carol. This old English carol is still sung at Epiphany.
The Golden Carol (of the Three Wise Men)
We saw a light shine out a-far, On Christmas in the morning; And straight we knew it was Christ's star, Bright beaming in the morning. Then did we fall on bended knee, On Christmas in the morning; And prais'd the Lord, who let us see His glory at its dawning.
Oh! Every thought be of His Name, On Christmas in the morning; Who bore for us both grief and shame, Afflictions sharpest scorning. And we may die (when death shall come,) On Christmas in the morning; And see in Heav'n, our glorious home, That Star of Christmas morning.
The Golden Carol - arr. by Roger C. Wilson (organ)
The Golden Carol - Life Treasury of Christmas Music
