This Endernight I Saw A Sight

This Endernight I Saw A Sight

Compare: This Endres Nyght
This Endris Night

Words and Music: English Traditional, Fifteenth Century

Source: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p. 62.

"Ah, my dear Son," said Mary, "ah, my dear,
Kiss Thy mother, Jesu, with a laughing cheer."

1. This endernight I saw a sight,
All in my sleep:
Mary, that may, she sang lullay
And sore did weep;
To keep she sought full fast about
Her Son from cold.
Joseph said, "Wife, my joy, my life,
Say what ye would."
"Nothing, my spouse, is in this house
Unto my pay;
My Son a king, that made all thing,
Lieth in hay.
"Ah, my dear Son," said Mary, "ah, my dear,
Kiss Thy mother, Jesu, with a laughing cheer."

2. "My mother dear, amend your cheer
And now be still;
Thus for to lie it is soothly
My Father's will;
Derision, great passion,
Infinitely,
As it is found, many a wound
Suffer shall I;
On Calvary that is so high
There shall I be,
Man to restore, nailed full sore
Upon a tree."
"Ah, my dear Son," said Mary, "ah, my dear,
Kiss Thy mother, Jesu, with a laughing cheer."

This Endris Night

Alternate Title: The Virgin and Child
Version 1
Compare: This Endris Night - Version 2

Also Thys Ender Night and This Endrys Night

Words and Music: 15th Century England
The earliest manuscript containing the song comes from c. 1475

Burden:
This endris¹ night I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day,
And ev'r among, a maiden sung,
"Lully, bye bye, lullay."

1. This lovely lady sat and sang,
And to her child did say,
"My son, my brother, father dear,
Why liest thou thus in hay?"

2. "My sweetest bird, 'tis thus required,
Though I be king veray,²
But nevertheless I will not cease
To sing 'Bye bye, lullay.'"

3. The child then spake in his talking,
And to his mother did say,
"Yea, I am known as heaven-king
In crib though I be laid.

4. "For angels bright down on me light;³
Thou knowest 'tis no nay.⁴
And for that sight thou may delight
To sing, 'Bye bye, lullay.'"

5. "Now, sweet son, since thou art a king,
Why art thou laid in stall?
Why dost not order thy bedding
In some great kinges hall?

6. "Methinks⁵ 'tis right that king or knight
Should lie in good array.
And then among, it were no wrong
To sing 'Bye bye, lullay.'"

7. "Mary mother, I am thy Child,
Though I be laid in stall;
For lords and dukes shall worship Me,
And so shall kingès all.

8. "Ye shall well see that kingès three
Shall come on this twelfth day.
For this behest give Me thy breast
And sing, By by, lullay."

9. "Now tell, sweet Son, I Thee do pray,
Thou art my Love and Dear—
How should I keep Thee to Thy pay⁶,
And make Thee glad of cheer?

10. "For all Thy will I would fulfill—
Thou knowest well, in fay⁷;
And for all this I will Thee kiss,
And sing, By by, lullay."

11. "My dear mother, when time it be,
Take thou Me up on loft,
And set Me then upon thy knee,
And handle me full soft.

12. "And in thy arm thou hold Me warm,
And keep Me night and day,
And if I weep, and may not sleep,
Thou sing, By by, lullay."

13. "Now sweet Son, since it is come so,
That all is at Thy will,
I pray Thee grant to me a boon⁸,
If it be right and skill⁹,—

14. "That child or man, who will or can
Be merry on my day,
To bliss Thou bring—and I shall sing,
Lullay, by by, lullay."

This Endris Night

Version 2
Compare: This Endris Night (Version 1)

Alternate Title: The Virgin And Child

Words and Music: English Traditional, Fifteenth Century

Source: William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity (London: John Camden Hotten, 1868)

This endris¹ night
I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day;
And ever among
A maiden sung,
Lullay, by by, lullay.

1. This lovely lady sat and sang, and to her Child [she] said --
"My son, my brother, my father dear, why lyest Thou thus in hayd.²
My sweet bird,^2a
Thus it is betide
Though thou be king veray;³
But, nevertheless,
I will not cease
To sing, by by, lullay."

2. The Child then spake in His talking, and to His mother said --
"I bekyd⁴ am King, in crib⁵ there I be laid:
For Angels bright
Down to Me light,
Thou knowest it is no nay,⁶
And of that sight
Thou mayst be light⁷
To sing, by by, lullay."

3. "Now, sweet Son, since Thou art King, why art Thou laid in stall?
Why not Thou ordained Thy bedding in some great king his hall?
Me thinketh it is right
That king or knight
Should lie in good array;
And then among
It were no wrong
To sing, by by, lullay."

4. "Mary, mother, I am thy child, though I be laid in stall,
Lords and dukes shall worship Me, and so shall kings all;
Yet shall we see
That kings three
Shall come the twelfth day;
For this behest
Give me thy breast
And sing, by by, lullay."

5. "Now tell me, sweet Son, I three pray, Thou art my love and dear,
How should I keep Thee to Thy pay⁸, and make Thee glad of cheer;
For all Thy will
I would fulfil
Thou witest⁹ full well in fay,¹⁰
And for all this
I will thee kiss
And sing, by by, lullay."

6. "My mother dear, when time it be, thou take Me up aloft,
And set Me upon thy knee, and handle Me full soft;
And in thy arm
Thou wilt me warm,
And keep [me] night and day;
If I weep
And may not sleep,
Thou sing, by by, lullay."

7. "Now, sweet Son, since it is so, that all thing is at Thy will,
I pray thee grant me a boon, if it be both right and skill,¹¹
That child or man
That will or can
Be merry upon my day;
To bliss them bring,
And I shall sing
Lullay, by by, lullay."

This EndnEs NYght I SAW A SYGHT

Also: A, My Dere Son
Source: William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London: Richard Beckley, 1833), pp.11-12.

Words and Music: 15th Century England
The earliest manuscript containing the song comes from c. 1475.

Compare: The Virgin and Child (Bramley and Stainer),
This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight.
This Endernight I Saw A Sight
Also See: This Endris Night, This Endris Night - Version 2
and Thys endris nyghth - Thomas Wright

A, my dere son, sayd mary, a, my dere,
kys þⁱ moder Jhesu w^t a lawghyng chere.

This endnes nyght I saw a syght
all in my slepe,
Mary þ^t may she sang lullay
& sore did wepe.
To kepe she sawght full fast a bowte
her son fro colde;
Joseph seyd, wiff, my joy, my leff,
say what ye wolde;
no thyng my spouse is In þ^s howse
unto may pay;
my son a kyng þ^t made all thyng
lyth in hay.

A my dere son.

My moder dere, a mend yo^r chere,
& now be styll;
thus for to ly it is sothely
my fadirs will.
derision gret passion
Infynytely,
As it is fownde many a wownd
suffyr shall I,
on caluery that is so hye
there shall I be;
man to restore naylid full sore
uppon a tre.

A my dere son.

Thys endris nyõth

Words and Music: Traditional English

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (London: The Percy Society, 1847), Song #10, printed verbatim from a manuscript probably owned by a professional musician, and apparently written in the latter half of the fifteenth century, circa 1471-1485.

This carol requires the installation of the "Junius Modern" font for best display.
See notes in F A Q

Thys endris nyõth
I saw a sy3th,
A stare as bry3t as day;
And ever among
A mayden song
Lullay, by by, lullay.

This lovely lady sat and song, and to hyr chyld sayd,
My sone, my broder, my fader der, why lyest thou thus in haynd
My swete byrd,
Thus it ys betyde,
Thow thou be kynd veray;
But nevertheles
I wyl not ses
To syng, by by, lyllay.

The chyld than spak in histalkyng, and to hys moder sayd,
I bekydde am kyng in crybbe thar I be layd.
For aungeiles bry3t
Done to my ly3t
Thou knowest it ys no nay;
And of that sy3t
Thou mayst be ly3t
To syng, by by, lullay.

Now, swet son, syn thou art kyng, why art thou layd in stall?
Why ne thou ordende thi beddyng in sum gret kynges hall?
Me thynkyth it is ry3t,
That kyng or knyght
Shuld ly in good aray;
And than among
It wer no wrong
To syng, by by, lullay.

Mary moder, I am thi chyld, thow I be layd in stall,
Lordes and dukes shal worsshyp me and so shall kynges all.
3e shall well se
That kynges thre
Shall come the xij. day,
For this behest
3efe me thi brest,
And syng, by by, lullay.

Now tell me, swet son, I the pray, thou art me leve and dere,
How shuld I kepe the to thy pay and mak the glad of chere.
For all thi wyll
I wold fullfyll
Thou wetyste full well in fay,
And for all thys,
I wyll the kys,
And syng, by by, lullay.

My der moder, whan tym it be, thou take me up on loft,
And set me upon thi kne, and handyll me full soft.
And in thi arme
Thou hyl me warme,
And kepe ny3t and day;
If I wepe,
And may not slepe,
Thou syng, by by, lullay.

Now, swet son, syn it is so, that all thyng is at thi wyll,
I pray the graunte me a bone, yfit be both ry3t and skyll.
That chyld or man
That wyl or kan
Be mery upon my day,
To blyss hem bryng,
And I shal syng,
Lullay, by by, lullay.

This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight

The Virgin and Child

Version 2

Words and Music Unknown

Source: Joshua Sylvestre, Christmas Carols - Ancient and Modern (circa 1861, reprinted A. Wessels Company, New York, 1901)

This winter's night
I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day,
And ever among
A maiden sung,
Lullay, by by, lullay.

This lovely lady sang and sang and to her child she said:
"My son, my brother, my father dear, why lyest thou thus in hayd --
My sweet bird,
Though it betide
Thou be not king veray;¹
But, nevertheless, I will not cease
To sing, by by, lullay.

The Child then spake; in his talking he to his mother said:
"It happeneth, mother, I am King, in crib though I be laid,
For angels bright
Did down alight,
Thou knowest it is no nay,
And of that sight
Thou mayst be light²
To sing, by by, lullay."

"Now, sweet son, since thou art King, why art thou laid in stall?
Why not thou ordain thy bedding in some great king's hall?
Me thinketh 'tis right
That king or knight
'Should be in good array
And then among
It were no wrong
To sing, by by, lullay."

"Mary, mother, I am thy child, though I be laid in stall,
Lords and dukes shall worship me, and so shall kings all;
Yet shall we see
That kings three
Shall come on the twelfth day;
For this behest
Give me thy breast
And sing, by by, lullay."

"Now tell me, sweet son, I thee pray, thou art my love and dear,
how should I keep thee to thy pay,³ and make thee glad of cheer;
For all thy will
I would fulfil
Thou knowest full well in fay,⁴
And for all this
I will thee kiss
And sing, by by, lullay."

"Now, sweet son, since it is so, all things are at thy will,
I pray thee grant to me a boon, if it be right and skill,⁵
That child or man
That will or can
Be merry upon my day;
To bliss them bring,
And I shall sing
Lullay, by by, lullay."

The Virgin and Child

Version 1
Compare: This Endris Night and This Endris Night - Version 2
See Also: This Endres Nyght (Sandys) and Thys endris nyghth - Thomas Wright

Words: Old English

Music: C. Steggall

Source: Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer, Christmas Carols New and Old, Second Series (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1871), Carol #25

1. On yester night I saw a sight,
A star as bright as day;
And all along, I heard a song,
Lullay, by by, lullay, lullay, lullay.

2. A lovely lady sat and sang,
And to her child she spake:
My Son, my Brother, Father dear,
It makes my heart to ache,
To sweet Thee there, so cold and bare,
A King upon this hay;
But hush Thy wail, I will not fail
To sing by by, lullay, lullay, to sing by by, lullay, lullay;
To sing by by lullay, lullay,
lullay, lullay, lullay, lullay, lullay.

3. The Child then spake whilst she did sing,
And to the maiden said:
"Right sure I am a mighty King,
Though in a crib My bed:
For angels bright,
Down to Me light;
Thou canst not say Me nay:
Then why so sad ?
Thou mayest be glad
To sing by by, lullay."

4. "Now, sweetest Lord, since Thou art King.
Why liest Thou in a stall ?
Why didst Thou not Thy cradle bring
To some great royal hall ?
Methinks 'tis right,
That king or knight
Should lie in good array;
And them among,
It were no wrong
To sing by by, lullay."

5. "My Mother Mary, thine I be,
Though I be laid in stall,
Both lords and dukes shall worship Me,
And so shall monarchs all:
Ye shall well see
That princes three,
Shall come on the twelfth day:
Then let Me rest
Upon thy breast,
And sing by by, lullay."

6. "Now tell me, sweetest Lord, I pray,
Thou art my love and dear,
How shall I nurse Thee to Thy mind,
And make Thee glad of cheer ?
For all Thy will
I would fulfil,
I need no more to say;
And for all this
I will Thee kiss,
And sing by by, lullay,"

7. "My Mother dear, when time it be,
Then take Me up aloft,
And set Me up upon thy knee,
And handle Me full soft;
And in thy arm,
Thou wilt Me warm,
And keep Me night and day:
And if I weep,
And may not sleep,
Thou sing by by, lullay."

8. "Now, sweetest Lord, since it is so,
That Thou art most of might,
I pray Thee grant a boon to me,
If it be meet and right;
That child or man
That will or can,
Be merry on this day;
To bliss them bring,
And I shall sing,
Lullay, by by, lullay."