Nowell, Nowell Lyrics

Nowell, Nowell, this is the saluctacion off the aungell Gabriell

Tydynges trew ther be cum new, sent frome the Trinite,
Be Gabriel to Nazaret, cite of Galile;
A clene mayden and pure virgyn thorow hyre humilite
Conceyvid the secund person in divinite.

Whan he fyrst presentid was before hyr fayer visag,
In the most demurer and goodly wys he ded to hyr omag,
And seid, Lady frome heven so hy, that lordes herytag,
The wich off the borne wold be, I am sent on messag.

Hayle, virgyne celestial, the mekest that ever was;
Hayle, temple of deite and myrrour off all grace;
Hayle, virgyne puer, I the ensure within full lyty[l] space,
Thou shalt receyve and hym conceyve that shal bryng gret solace.

Sodenly she, abashid truly, but not al thyng dysmaid,
With mynd dyscret and mek spyryt to the aungell she said:
By what maner shuld I chyld bere, the wich ever a maid
Have lyvid chast, al my lyf past, and never mane asaid?

Than ageyne to hire certeyn answered the aungell,
O lady dere, be off good chere, and dred the never a dell,
Thou shalt conceyve in thi body, mayden, very God hym self,
In whos byrth heven and erth shal joy, callid Emanuell.

Not it, he seid, vj. monethys past, thi cosyn Elyzabeth,
That was barren, conceyvid sent Johan, tru it is that I tell;
Syn she in ag, why not in yought mayst thou conceye as well,
If God wyl, whome is possybyll to have don every dell?

Than ageyne to the aungell she answered womanly,
What ever my lord commaund me do, I wyll obey mekely,
Ecce sum humilima ancilla Domini,
Secundum verbum tuum, she said, fiat mihi.