22 December 2003

Sin and the Season

Summa Contra Mundum posts about sin being the reason for Christmas, and how he'd like to decorate with a gigantic bloody Spanish crucifix covered with Christmas lights. In that spirit, I would like to post the Corpus Christi Carol, which is not a carol for the feast of Corpus Christi, but which in its oldest versions used that Latin phrase. It's from England.

Corpus Christi Carol

Down in yon forest there stands a hall
The bells of Paradise I hear them ring
It's covered all over with purple and pall
And I love my Lord Jesus above everything. [or "any thing", in some versions]

In that hall there stands a bed
The bells of Paradise I hear them ring
It's covered all over with scarlet so red
And I love my Lord Jesus above everything.

At the bedside there lies a stone
The bells etc.
Which the sweet Virgin Mary knelt upon
And I love etc.

Under that bed there runs a flood
The one half runs water, the other runs blood

At the foot of the bed there grows a thorn
Which ever blooms [blows] blossoms since He was born

Over that bed the moon shines bright
Denoting our Saviour was born on this night.

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