The Snow Lay On the Ground

Representative Text

1 The snow lay on the ground, the stars shone bright,
When Christ the Lord was born on Christmas night.
Venite, adoremus Dominum,
Venite, adoremus Dominum.

Refrain:
Venite, adoremus Dominum,
Venite, adoremus Dominum.

2 'Twas Mary, Virgin pure of holy Anne,
That brought into this world the God made man.
She laid him in a stall at Bethlehem;
The ass and oxen shared the roof with them. [Refrain]

3 Saint Joseph, too was near to tend the child,
To guard him, and protect his mother mild:
The angels hover'd round, and sang this song:
Venite, adoremus Dominum. [Refrain]

4 And thus that manger poor became a throne;
For he whom Mary bore was God the Son.
O come, then, let us join the heav'nly host,
To praise the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. [Refrain]


Source: Breaking Bread (Vol. 39) #101

Notes

The snow lay on the ground. [Christmas.] This appears to be a West of England traditional carol, and is given as such in R. R. Chope's Carols, 1875, No. 44, where it begins "The snow lay deep upon the ground." In the Crown of Jesus, 1862, No. 146, it begins “The snow lay on the ground" and is marked, with regard to the tune, as "Christmas Carol, sung in Rome by the Pifferari from the Abruzzi Mountains." The text of 1862 is in the Arundel Hymnal, 1902, and many others. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #6165
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 11 of 11)
TextPage Scan

Breaking Bread (Vol. 39) #101

Text InfoTextAudio

Glory to God #116

Text

Journeysongs (2nd ed.) #354

Text

Journeysongs (3rd ed.) #319

TextPage Scan

One in Faith #401

Text

The Book of Praise #157

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #6165

TextAudio

The Faith We Sing #2093

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #110

Text

The Presbyterian Hymnal #57

찬송과 예배 = Chansong gwa yebae = Come, Let Us Worship #163

Include 32 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us