What Child Is This?

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"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol that was written in 1865. At the age of twenty-nine, writer William Chatterton Dix was struck with a sudden near-fatal illness and confined to bedrest for several months, during which he went into a deep depression.[citation needed] Yet out of his near-death experience, Dix wrote many hymns, including ‘What Child is This?” It was later[citation needed] set to the traditional English melody of "Greensleeves".

[edit] Lyrics

The lyrics exist in several variants in different books. The version below is thought to be close to the original, being taken from Lutheran Service Book of 2006, with no indication of editorial redaction.

1. What Child is this who, laid to rest,

On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;1
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,2
The babe, the son of Mary!
2. Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.3
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;4
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,5
The babe, the son of Mary!
3. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh;
Come peasant, king to own Him.6
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.7
Raise, raise, the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;8
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!

– Lutheran Service Book

Alternative renderings and sources:

1Whom shepherds worship and angels sing (NEH, CP)
2Haste, haste to bring Him praise (NEH, CP)
3Come, have no fear; God's son is here, (NEH, CP)
His love all loves exceeding: (NEH, CP)
4The cross he bore for me, for you[citation needed]
5Hail, hail, the Saviour comes, (NEH, CP)
6All tongues and peoples own him, (NEH, CP)
7Let every heart enthrone Him: (NEH, CP)
8While Mary sings a lullaby, (NEH, CP)

NEH: New English Hymnal (40)
CP: Common Praise (74) (the most recent edition of the Hymns Ancient and Modern series of hymnals). Also from English Praise

Tune: Greensleeves


[edit] Cover Versions

Many recorded versions use the latter half of the first verse as a chorus for the other verses.[citation needed]