The Snow Lay on the Ground

VENITE ADOREMUS6.4.6.4 with refrain

Words: AnonymousMusic: VENITE ADOREMUS, Father Young

Key
Stanzas

Practice player: melody only, played by your browser. The intro is the closing line of the tune, as many churches play it. Melody and words transcribed from Father Finn's Carol Book (1917), p. 44, public domain.

Words

1

The snow lay on the ground,
The star shone bright,
When Christ, our Lord was born
On Christmas night.

Refrain

Venite adoremus Dominum,
Venite adoremus Dominum.

2

'Twas Mary, daughter pure
Of holy Anne,
That brought into this world
The God-made man.

3

She laid Him in a stall,
At Bethlehem,
The ass and oxen shared
The roof with them.

4

Saint Joseph, too, was by,
To tend the Child,
To guard Him and protect
His mother mild.

5

The angels hovered round,
And sung this song,
Venite adoremus
Dominum.

6

And then that manger poor
Became a throne:
For He, whom Mary bore,
Was God, the Son.

7

O come, then, let us join
The Heavenly host,
To praise the Father, Son
And Holy Ghost.

Scripture

The Bible passages this hymn draws on, in the King James Version.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Suggested for these Masses

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