Latinised Hymns

Once in royal David's city

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall;
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And through all his wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as he.

For he is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day like us he grew,
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us he knew;
And he feeleth for our sadness,
And he shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall stand around.

C.F.Alexander

Fuit urbe David olim
haud insigne stabulum;
in praesepio locavit
mater ibi filium;
mater Maria fuit,
Jesus is quem peperit.

Coram nobis qui descendit
Deus atque Dominus,
subter tegmine bovino
super faenum positus,
fuit noster is Salvator
inter imos habitator.

Virgini mirandus infans,
gremio quem sustulit,
studiose veneratus,
diligenter paruit:
pari mansuetudine
nos decebit degere.

Nobis enim exemplaris
crevit nostri similis;
parvus, impotens, imbellis
risit atque flevit is;
particeps fit nostri fletus
cum laetemur ipse laetus.

Eum, quos amans redemit,
denique videbimus,
puer enim ille lenis
est in caelo Dominus;
qui familiam agit
ipse quo praeiverit.

Nec cum bubus habitantem
turpiter in stabulo
sed videbimus regentem
de superno solio,
circum quem sideribus
similes nitebimus.

MM 10–26.12.01