{"id":98068,"date":"2016-12-25T12:02:50","date_gmt":"2016-12-25T17:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp\/?p=98068"},"modified":"2016-12-25T12:02:50","modified_gmt":"2016-12-25T17:02:50","slug":"an-english-poet-on-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/2016\/12\/an-english-poet-on-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"An English Poet on Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\" class=\"first\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-98069\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-98069\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8.jpg\" alt=\"748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8\" width=\"236\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8.jpg 236w, https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8-102x150.jpg 102w, https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/748077bab5ecef23a4fe2d2e6d68f9d8-204x300.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">IN THE HOLY NATIVITY OF OUR LORD<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\">— Richard Crashaw (d. 1649)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0CHORUS<br \/>\nCome we shepherds, whose blest sight<br \/>\nHath met love’s noon in nature’s night;<br \/>\nCome lift up our loftier song<br \/>\nAnd wake the sun that lies too long.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">To all the world of well-stol’n joy<br \/>\nHe slept; and dreamt of no such thing.<br \/>\nWhile we found out Heaven’s fairer eye<br \/>\nAnd kissed the cradle of our King.<br \/>\nTell him he rises now, too late<br \/>\nTo show us aught worth looking at.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Tell him we now can show him more<br \/>\nThan he e’er showed to mortal sight;<br \/>\nThan he himself e’er saw before;<br \/>\nWhich to be seen needs not his light.<br \/>\nTell him, Tityrus, where thou hast been,<br \/>\nTell him, Tityrus, what thou hast seen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[TITYRUS] Gloomy night embraced the place<br \/>\nWhere the noble Infant lay.<br \/>\nThe Babe looked up and showed His face;<br \/>\nIn spite of darkness, it was day.<br \/>\nIt was Thy day, Sweet! and did rise<br \/>\nNot from the East, but from Thine eyes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] It was Thy day, Sweet! and did rise<br \/>\nNot from the East, but from Thine eyes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[THYRSIS] Winter chid aloud; and sent<br \/>\nThe angry North to wage his wars.<br \/>\nThe North forgot his fierce intent,<br \/>\nAnd left perfumes instead of scars.<br \/>\nBy those sweet eyes’ persuasive powers,<br \/>\nWhere he meant frost, he scattered flowers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] By those sweet eyes’ persuasive powers,<br \/>\nWhere he meant frost, he scattered flowers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[BOTH] We saw Thee in Thy balmy nest,<br \/>\nYoung Dawn of our eternal day!<br \/>\nWe saw Thine eyes break from Their East<br \/>\nAnd chase the trembling shades away.<br \/>\nWe saw Thee; and we blessed the sight,<br \/>\nWe saw Thee by Thine own sweet light.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[TITYRUS] Poor world (said I), what wilt thou do<br \/>\nTo entertain this starry Stranger?<br \/>\nIs this the best thou canst bestow?<br \/>\nA cold, and not too cleanly, manger?<br \/>\nContend, ye powers of heaven and earth<br \/>\nTo fit a bed for this huge birth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] Contend, ye powers of heaven and earth<br \/>\nTo fit a bed for this huge birth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[THYRSIS] Proud world, said I; cease your contest<br \/>\nAnd let the mighty Babe alone.<br \/>\nThe phoenix builds the phoenix’ nest,<br \/>\nLove’s architecture is his own.<br \/>\nThe Babe whose birth embraves this morn,<br \/>\nMade His own bed ere He was born.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] The Babe whose birth embraves this morn,<br \/>\nMade His own bed ere He was born.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[TITYRUS] I saw the curled drops, soft and slow,<br \/>\nCome hovering o’er the place’s head;<br \/>\nOffering their whitest sheets of snow<br \/>\nTo furnish the fair Infant’s bed:<br \/>\nForbear, said I; be not too bold:<br \/>\nYour fleece is white, but ’tis too cold.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] Forbear, said we; be not too bold:<br \/>\nYour fleece is white, but ’tis too cold.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[THYRSIS] I saw the obsequious seraphims<br \/>\nTheir rosy fleece of fire bestow.<br \/>\nFor well they now can spare their wings,<br \/>\nSince heaven itself lies here below.<br \/>\nWell done, said I: but are you sure<br \/>\nYour down, so warm, will pass for pure?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] Well done, said we: but are you sure<br \/>\nYour down, so warm, will pass for pure?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[TITYRUS] No, no, your King’s not yet to seek<br \/>\nWhere to repose His royal head.<br \/>\nSee, see, how soon His bloomed cheek<br \/>\nTwixt ‘s mother’s breasts is gone to bed.<br \/>\nSweet choice, said I! no way but so:<br \/>\nNot to lie cold, yet sleep in snow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] Sweet choice, said we! no way but so:<br \/>\nNot to lie cold, yet sleep in snow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[BOTH] We saw Thee in Thy balmy nest,<br \/>\nYoung Dawn of our eternal day!<br \/>\nWe saw Thine eyes break from Their East<br \/>\nAnd chase the trembling shades away.<br \/>\nWe saw Thee; and we blessed the sight,<br \/>\nWe saw Thee by Thine own sweet light.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[CHORUS] We saw Thee; and we blessed the sight,<br \/>\nWe saw Thee by Thine own sweet light.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">[FULL CHORUS]<br \/>\nWelcome, all Wonders in one sight!<br \/>\nEternity shut in a span.<br \/>\nSummer to winter, day in night,<br \/>\nHeaven in earth, and God in man.<br \/>\nGreat little One! Whose all-embracing birth<br \/>\nLifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Welcome, though nor to gold nor silk,<br \/>\nTo more than Caesar’s birthright is;<br \/>\nTwin sister-seas of virgin-milk,<br \/>\nWith many rarely-tempered kiss<br \/>\nThat breathes at once both maid and mother,<br \/>\nWarms in the one, cools in the other.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Welcome, though not to those gay flies,<br \/>\nGilded in the beams of earthly kings,<br \/>\nSlippery souls in smiling eyes;<br \/>\nBut to poor shepherds, home-spun things,<br \/>\nWhose wealth’s their flock, whose wit, to be<br \/>\nWell read in their simplicity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Yet when April’s husband showers<br \/>\nShall bless the fruitful Maia’s bed,<br \/>\nWe’ll bring the first-born of her flowers<br \/>\nTo kiss Thy feet and crown Thy head.<br \/>\nTo Thee, dread Lamb! whose love must keep<br \/>\nThe shepherds, more than they their sheep.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">To Thee, meek Majesty! soft King<br \/>\nOf simple graces and sweet loves.<br \/>\nEach of us his lamb will bring,<br \/>\nEach his pair of silver doves;<br \/>\nTill burnt at last in fire of Thy fair eyes,<br \/>\nOurselves become our own best sacrifice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IN THE HOLY NATIVITY OF OUR LORD — Richard Crashaw (d. 1649) \u00a0CHORUS Come we shepherds, whose blest sight Hath met love’s noon in nature’s night; Come lift up our loftier song And wake the sun that lies too long. To all the world of well-stol’n joy He slept; and dreamt of no such thing. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98068"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98070,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98068\/revisions\/98070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinkinghousewife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}