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| Click to see the picture enlarged |
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago.
In the Bleak Midwinter is one my favorite Christmas carols. The lyrics were originally written by English poet Christina Rossetti and later set to music by a number of composers, including a setting by Gustav Holst.
I think of the fourth verse as I look at this picture.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But his mother only,
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
Thanks for posting some of Christina Rossetti's superb carol. She was born 180 years ago today. If you'd like to learn a bit more about her, you can check out my daily hymn blog, Wordwise Hymns, for today.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you’ll excuse a brief “commercial:” If you do not have a good book on the subject of our Christmas carols, I encourage you to take a look at my own, Discovering the Songs of Christmas. In it, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 carols and Christmas hymns. The book is available through Amazon, or directly from Jebaire Publishing. (Might make a great gift too!)