Hark! The Herald Banjo Rings
Christmas 2008
December 21
"Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" is a beautiful Christmas hymn, and one of my wife's favorites. As you'll notice when listening to the recording, I played this much slower than most of the other songs, as I think it sounds a lot better this way. I've played through only two verses, as only two are included in the Presbyterian Hymnal. Today is the final Sunday of Advent, and Christmas is only a few days away!
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Words: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, German carol, 15th century; trans. Theodore Baker, 1894.
Music: ES IST EIN' ROS, Anonymous, 16th century; arr. Michael Praetorius, 1609.
Lo, how a rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung,
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
By faithful prophets sung.
It came a floweret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright
She bore for us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
Sources and more information
- Presbyterian Hymnal, 1990.
- Hymns and Carols of Christmas
- Hymns and Carols of Christmas - Notes
- Cyber Hymnal
- Wikipedia