by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936)
The Christ‑child lay on Mary's lap
Language: English
The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap, His hair was like a light. O weary, weary were the world, But here is all aright. The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast, His hair was like a star. O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are. The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart, His hair was like a fire. O weary, weary is the world, But here the world's desire. The Christ-child stood at Mary's knee, His hair was like a crown. And all the flowers looked up at Him, And all the stars looked down. O weary, weary were the world, But here the world is aright.
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Text Authorship:
- by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936), "A Christmas Carol", appears in The Wild Knight and Other Poems, first published 1900 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by David Frederick Barlow (1927 - 1975), "The world's desire", published 1958 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Black (b. 1903), "The stars looked down", published 1961 [ soprano obbligato and SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edith Borroff (1925 - 2019), "The Christ-Child Lay on Mary's Lap", <<1970 [ women's chorus ], Treble Clef Publishing [sung text not yet checked]
- by Donald Joseph Cashmore (b. 1926), "The world's desire", published 1962 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marion Conklin Chapman , "The world's desire", published 1941 [ SATB chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. Willis Conant , "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1956 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mabel Wheeler Daniels (1878 - 1971), "The Christ-child", published 1931 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Dello Joio (1913 - 2008), "A Christmas Carol", published 1962 [ SATB chorus or SSA chorus and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by James McDonald Gayfer (b. 1916), "The world's desire", 1965 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Heys , "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1970 [ voice and piano ], from Two carols [sung text not yet checked]
- by Margaret Johnstone , "The Christ-child", published 1951 [ SATB chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Tertius Noble (1867 - 1953), "The world's desire", published 1935 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Baron Pitfield (1903 - 1999), "The Christ child" [ chorus or unison chorus and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Rathbone (1874 - ?), "The Christ-child", published 1924 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Christ Child", op. 88 (1945) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The World's Desire", op. 486 (1957) [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Christ Child", op. 680 (1966) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875 - 1958), "The world's desire", published 1928 [ mixed chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jack Meredith Tatton (1901 - 1970), "The Christ-child", published 1939 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roy Teed (b. 1928), "The Christ-child", c1960 [ soprano or mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra or piano ], from So Blest a Day [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vally Weigl, née Pick (c1894 - 1982), "A Christmas Carol", published 1962 [ mezzo-soprano and optional SA chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson (1931 - 2003), "A Christmas Carol", published 1965 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Wills (b. 1926), "The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap", published 1966 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
This text was added to the website: 2004-02-10
Line count: 18
Word count: 109