Corpus Christi Carol
Anonymous

Corpus Christi Carol is a Middle English or Early Modern English hymn (or Carol), first found in a manuscript written around 1504 of an apprentice grocer named Richard Hill. The original writer of the carol remains anonymous. Notes by User:Dissolve or possibly Patrick O'Shea.

465262Corpus Christi CarolAnonymous

Lyrics

edit

Lulley, lully, lulley, lully,
The faucon hath born my mak away.

He bare hym up, he bare hym down,
He bare hym into an orchard brown.

In that orchard ther was an hall,
That was hanged with purpill and pall.

And in that hall ther was a bede,
Hit was hangid with gold so rede.

And yn that bed ther lythe a knyght,
His wowndes bledyng day and nyght.

By that bedes side ther kneleth a may,
And she wepeth both nyght and day.
And by that bedes side ther stondith a ston,
"Corpus Christi" wretyn theron.

Glossary

edit

faucon: falcon
mak: mate, love
bare: bore, carried
purpill: purple (the royal color)
pall: a funeral pall, a cloth spread over a coffin
bede: bed
rede: red
lythe: lyeth, lies
wowndes: wounds
bledyng: bleeding
kneleth: kneeleth, kneels
may: maid, maiden
wepeth: weepeth, weeps
stondith: standith, stands
ston: stone
Corpus Christi: body of Christ (Latin)
wretyn: written