1. O HERDERS LAET UW' BOXKENS EN SCHAPEN
O herders laet (*1) uw' boxkens en schapen,
Den grooten Heer, die't al heeft geschapen,
Is voor u gheboren,
Die al waert verlooren,
In 't kribbe gheleyt in eenen stal,
Godt mensche door Adams val.
Hy wordt nu ghevonden,
In doecxkens ghewonden,
De Moeder en Maghet is een,
Godt Vader is vader alleen,
Sa, rasch herderkens op de been.
Herderkens loopt, loopt
Wy loopen, wy loopen,
Herderkens, noch enen keer,
Morgen komen wy weer.
Komt laet ons gaen besoecken in doecken,
Dat kindtjen teer des wereldts Heere,
Die van onse kudden,
Den wolf sal beschudden (*2),
Die voor ons nu in een kribbe leyt,
Soo heeft ons den Enghel gheseyt.
De Herderkens singhen,
De lammerkens springhen,
Den hemel en aerde schept jeught.
Sy singhen Godt glori' en deught,
Voor de menschen peys ende vrueght.
Kindeken slaept, slaept
Wy wiegen, wy wiegen,
Na na na kindeken teer,
Sus sus sus, en krijt niet meer.
Maer eer wy gaen al d'ander op wecken,
En wy van hier naer Bethlem vertrecken,
Wat sullen wy't geven,
Om dan niet te beven,
In desen seer langhen kouden nacht,
Soo dient hem een velleken sacht.
Soo't krijten sal willen, Wy sullen het stillen,
En paeyen met spel ende sanck,
En fluyten den heelen nacht lanck,
Sullen t'samen met soet gheklanck.
Singen na, na, na
Wy singhen, wy spelen,
Na na na kindeken teer,
Sus sus sus, en krijt niet meer.
(*1): verlaat
(*2): weghouden
| [1] O SHEPHERDS, LEAVE YOUR GOATS AND SHEEP
O shepherds, leave your goats and sheep,
The mighty Lord who created all
Has been born for you,
For you all who were lost
He was laid in a crib in a manger.
God, made Man through Adam's fall,
He is now found
Wrapped in swaddling clothes.
The Mother and Maid are one,
God the Father is alone the fatherA
Up, shepherds, on your feet.
Shepherds run, run.
We're running, we're running,
Shepherds, just once more,
Tomorrow we'll come again.
Come, let us visit in His wraps
That tender child, the Lord of the World,
He who will keep the wolf
Away from our flocks,
He who now lies in a crib before us,
Thus did the Angel tell us.
The shepherds are singing,
The lambs are springing.
Jouth abounds on Heaven and Earth.
They hymn God's glory and virtue,
Peace and joy for humanity.
Little child, sleep, sleep,
We rock you, we rock you,
Na, na, na, tender little Child.
Ssh, ssh, ssh, and cry no more.
But before we go to awake all the others,
And set out from here to Bethlehem,
What shall we give the Child
That he will not shiver
In this longest and coldest of nights?
A soft sheepskin will serve Him best.
If He then wants to cry, we will quieten Him
And appease Him with playing and singing
And flute-playing the whole night through
Together with sweet sounds
We will sing na, na, na,
We sing, we play,
Na, na, na, tender little Child,
Ssh, ssh, ssh, and cry no more!
Translation © 1997, Peter Lockwood
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