1000 Songs/While shepherds watched their flocks by night (Tate and Brady)

While shepherds watched their flocks by night (Tate and Brady)

1000 Songs

Text

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks:

Dum nocte pastores suum
custodiunt pecus,
circumfulgente gloria
descendit angelus.

"Ne timeatis!" inquit is
(nam sunt perterriti)
"Magnum proclamo gaudium
vobis et generi.

In urbe David hodie
de David stripe fit
Salvator Christus nomine;
et signum hoc erit:

infantem ibi quaerite
in visu hominum,
vestitum valde viliter,
praesepi creditum."

Sic ille; cuius comites
nitere visi sunt,
Deum magnificans cohors,
qui sic cecinerunt:

"Nunc fiat pax hominibus
et Deo gloria,
et caritas inter duos
esto perpetua."

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.

"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

"The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high
and on the earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to men
begin and never cease."

Author

Nahum Tate (1652-1715) Nicholas Brady (1659-1726)

Translations/Challenges

Click here to see a full comparison of many different translations.

Music

Tune

The standard tune in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries is the "Winchester Old" tune.

Background

Cultural setting

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