The Coventry Carol

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To Relate Many Stories
A Garland of Carols
Shepherds Arise
Down in Yon Forest
The Coventry Carol
As I Sat On a Sunny Bank
While Shepherds Watched [Lyngham]
Nowell and Nowell
In Bethlehem City
Christmas is Now Drawing Near at Hand
The Carnal and the Crane
Boars Head Carol
The Dunstan Lullaby (The Christmas Lullaby)
While Shepherds Watched [Pentonville]

The Coventry Carol

version 1

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters, too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day;
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young, to slay.

Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

version 2

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay

It is named after the city of Coventry, England, where the 15th Century Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors depicted Herod's slaughter of the innocents, told in the lyrics.

a garland of carols is
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