The Coventry Carol
Unknown Composer
Robert Croo (lyricist)
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay?”
Herod the king, in his raging,
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.
That woe is me, poor child, for thee
And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay.”
My survey of countries and carols ends with an English "lullaby" from the 16th century, performed in a medieval mystery play cycle in the town of Coventry. The song mourns the children slain in the Massacre of the Innocents, when King Herod ordered the killing of all male children, aged two and under, in Bethlehem to rid himself of the Christ Child. An angel warned Joseph in a dream to flee with Mary and the Baby Jesus to Egypt, an event portrayed in this unusual item in the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection--the original uncancelled copper plate created by English Printmaker Kenneth Holmes in 1927 to print etchings of the Holy Family in flight, pictured above at the top. (John Kohan)