| Nowel, nowel! |
Noel, noel! |
Noel, noel! |
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| Owt of your slepe aryse and wake, |
Out of your sleep arise and wake, |
Out of your sleep arise and wake, |
| For God mankynd nowe hath ytake, |
For God has now taken on human flesh, |
For God the form of man will take |
| Al of a maide without eny make; |
Of a maiden without any mate; |
All of a maid who no sin could make; |
| Of al women she bereth the belle. |
Of all women, she bears the bell. [i.e., she is the leader] |
Of all women she bears the bell. |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| And throwe a maide faire and wys |
And through a maiden fair and wise |
And through a maiden fair and wise |
| Now man is made of ful grete pris; |
Now man is made of great worth; |
Now man is given such a prize; |
| Now angelys knelen to mannys servys, |
Now angels kneel in service to man, |
Now angels will kneel and be man's allies, |
| And at this tyme al this byfel. |
And at this time all this befell. |
And at this time all this befell. |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| Now man is bryghter than the sonne; |
Now man is brighter than the sun; |
Now man is brighter than the sun; |
| Now man in heven an hye shal wone; |
Now man shall live in Heaven on high; |
Now man both Heaven and Earth has won; |
| Blessyd be God this game is begonne, |
Blessed be God that this game has begun, |
Blessed be God, who this game has begun, |
| And his moder emperesse of helle. |
And His mother, Empress over Hell. |
And His Mother, Empress of Hell. |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| That ever was thralle, now ys he fre; |
Whoever was a thrall, now he is free; |
Whoever was slave, now is he free; |
| That ever was smalle, now grete is she; |
Whoever was small, now she is great; |
Whoever was small, now great is she; |
| Now shal God deme both the and me |
Now shall God consider both you and me |
Now shall God bring both you and me |
| Unto his blysse yf we do wel. |
Worthy of His bliss if we do what is good. |
Into His bliss if we do well. |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| Now man may to heven wende; |
Now man may go to Heaven; |
Now mankind may to Heaven wend; |
| Now heven and erthe to hym they bende; |
Now Heaven and earth bend to him; |
Now Heaven and Earth to him they bend; |
| He that was foo now is oure frende; |
He who was our foe is now our friend; |
He that was foe now is our friend; |
| This is no nay that Y yowe telle. |
What I tell you is undeniable. |
This is no lie that I you tell. |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| Now, blessyd brother, graunte us grace |
Now, blessed Brother, grant us grace, |
Now Blessed Brother, grant us grace |
| A domesday to se thy face |
To see your face at Domesday |
At Domesday to see Your face, |
| And in thy courte to have a place, |
And to have a place in your court, |
And in Your court to have a place, |
| That we mow there synge, "Nowel". |
That we may sing there, "Noel". |
That we may there sing out, "Noel." |
| Nowel! |
Noel! |
Noel! |
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| Anonymous |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |