Quem Vidistis Pastores, Etc.: A Hymn of the Nativity, Sung by the Shepherds
Chorus
COME, we shepherds whose blest sightHath met Love’s noon in Nature’s night;Come lift we up our loftier song,And wake the sun that lies too long.
To all our world of well-stol’n joyHe slept, and dreamt of no such thing,While we found out Heaven’s fairer eye,And kissed the cradle of our King;Tell him he rises now too lateTo show us aught worth looking at.
Tell him we now can show him moreThan he e’er showed to mortal sight,Than he himself e’er saw before,Which to be seen needs not his light:Tell him, Tityrus, where th’ hast been,Tell him, Thyrsis, what th’ hast seen.
Tityrus
Gloomy night embraced the placeWhere the noble infant lay:The babe looked up, and showed His face;In spite of darkness it was day.It was Thy day, sweet, and did rise,Not from the East, but from Thine eyes.Chorus. It was Thy day, sweet, and did rise,Not from the East, but from Thine eyes.
Thyrsis
Winter chid aloud, and sentThe angry North to wage his wars:The North forgot his fierce intent,And left perfumes instead of scars.By those sweet eyes’ persuasive powers,Where he meant frosts he scattered flowers.Chorus. By those sweet eyes’ persuasive powers,Where he meant frosts he scattered flowers.
Both
We saw Thee in Thy balmy nest,Young dawn of our eternal day;We saw Thine eyes break from the East,And chase the trembling shades away:We saw Thee, and we blest the sight,We saw Thee by Thine own sweet light.
Tityrus
Poor world, said I, what wilt thou doTo entertain this starry stranger?Is this the best thou canst bestow—A cold and not too cleanly manger?Contend the powers of heaven and earth,To fit a bed for this huge birth.Chorus. Contend the powers of heaven and earth,To fit a bed for this huge birth.
Thyrsis
Proud world, said I, cease your contest,And let the mighty babe alone,The phœnix builds the phœnix’ nest,Love’s architecture is his own.The babe, whose birth embraves this morn,Made His own bed ere He was born.Chorus. The babe, whose birth embraves this morn,Made His own bed ere He was born.
Tityrus
I saw the curled drops, soft and slow,Come hovering o’er the place’s head,Off’ring their whitest sheets of snow,To furnish the fair infant’s bed.Forbear, said I, be not too bold,Your fleece is white, but ’tis too cold.
Thyrsis
I saw th’ obsequious seraphimTheir rosy fleece of fire bestow,For well they now can spare their wings,Since Heaven itself lies here below.Well done, said I; but are you sureYour down, so warm, will pass for pure?Chorus. Well done, said I; but are you sureYour down, so warm, will pass for pure?
Both
No, no, your King’s not yet to seekWhere to repose His royal head;See, see how soon His new-bloomed cheek’Twixt mother’s breasts is gone to bed.Sweet choice, said we; no way but so,Not to lie cold, yet sleep in snow!Chorus. Sweet choice, said we; no way but so,Not to lie cold, yet sleep in snow!
Full Chorus
Welcome all wonders in one sight!Eternity shut in a span!Summer in winter! day in night!
Chorus
Heaven in earth! and God in man!Great little one, whose all-embracing birthLifts earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to earth,Welcome, tho’ nor to gold, nor silk,To more than Cæsar’s birthright is:Two sister seas of virgin’s milk,With many a rarely-tempered kiss,That breathes at once both maid and mother,Warms in the one, cools in the other.
She sings Thy tears asleep, and dipsHer kisses in Thy weeping eye;She spreads the red leaves of Thy lips,That in their buds yet blushing lie.She ’gainst those mother diamonds triesThe points of her young eagle’s eyes.
Welcome—tho’ not to those gay flies,Gilded i’ th’ beams of earthly kings,Slippery souls in smiling eyes—But to poor shepherds, homespun things,Whose wealth’s their flocks, whose wit’s to beWell read in their simplicity.
Yet, when young April’s husband show’rsShall bless the fruitful Maia’s bed,We’ll bring the first-born of her flowers,To kiss Thy feet and crown Thy head.To Thee, dread Lamb! whose love must keepThe shepherds while they feed their sheep.
To Thee, meek Majesty, soft KingOf simple graces and sweet loves!Each of us his lamb will bring,Each his pair of silver doves!At last, in fire of Thy fair eyes,Ourselves become our own best sacrifice!