Unique Word Count: 54
Music composed by: Unknown (c. 1500s)
Words written by: Unknown (c. 1500s)
Lyrics:
Puer nobis nascitur
Rector angelorum;
In hoc mundo pascitur
Dominus dominorum.
In præsepe ponitur
Sub fœno asinorum.
Cognoverunt dominum
Christum regem cœlorum.
Hinc Herodes timuit –
Magno cum dolore,
Et pueros occidit,
Infantes cum livore.
Qui natus est ex Maria –
Die hodierna
Ducat nos cum gratia
Ad gaudia superna.
O et A et A et O
Cum cantibus in choro,
Cum canticis et organo,
Benedicamus domino.
Translation:
A son has been born for us,
The steward of the angels;
He has been pastured in this world,
The Lord of lords.
He is placed in the manger,
In the donkeys’ hay.
They recognised the Lord,
Christ the king of the heavens.
Thus Herod became afraid,
With great sorrow,
And he killed the children,
The infants, in his jealousy.
He who has been born of Mary,
On this day,
Will bring us by grace
To eternal joy.
End and beginning and beginning and end,
With songs in the choir,
With songs and with the organ,
Let us praise the Lord.
Notes: “Puer Nobis Nascitur” was found in a 15th century manuscript from Trier. It was printed, along with the music, in 1582 in the book Piae Cantiones, a collection of Latin songs from Finland (Jaakko Suomalainen put the collection together, and Theodoric Petri of Nyland published it). The carol “Íosagán a Tháinig Chughainn“, is a text in the Irish language, set to the same melody.