Let us our homage shew;
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In praesepio
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio
Alpha es et O!
O Jesu parvule, (tiny Jesus)
I yearn for thee alway;
Listen to my ditty
O Puer optime,
Have pity on me, pity
O princeps gloriae!
Trahe me post te!
O Patris caritas,
O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stain’ed
Per nostra crimina;
But thou hast for us gain’ed
Coelorum gaudia.
O that we were there!
Ubi sunt gaudia, where,
If that they be not there?
There are angels singing
Nova cantica,
There the bells are ringing
In Regis curia:
O that we were there!
14th century German
Arranged RL. de Pearsall
Edited, Reginald Jacques
Oxford University Press