Unknown writer

The Coventry Carol

Summary


The Coventry Carol is a medieval Christmas poem that gives voice to a mother's anguished lullaby for her infant, born into a world of sudden, terrible danger. King Herod has commanded his soldiers to slaughter all young children, and grief saturates every hushed refrain. The gentle, rocking rhythm of the lullaby clashes against the horror of Herod's decree, creating a sorrow that is both intimate and vast — a mother singing softly to a child she knows she may lose.

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

A grieving mother cradles her infant by candlelight in a stone room, illustrating The Coventry Carol.

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.

Credits

Unknown writer — this carol originates from 16th-century England, first recorded in a Coventry mystery play cycle performed by the Shearmen and Tailors' guild around 1534. It is one of the few surviving examples of English medieval dramatic music still widely performed today.
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