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Babe of Bethlehem, The/Ye Nations All
Shape-Note Gospel by William Walker 1835;
ARTIST: William Walker; 1835 Collected by Brown
CATEGORY: Traditional Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1835 William Walker
RECORDING INFO: Babe of Bethleham
Rm - All Round My Hat (I Will Wear a Green Willow)
Betinis, Abbie/ The Babe of Bethlehem
Lloyd, A. L. & Isabel Arete de Ramon y Rivera (eds.) / Folk Songs of the, Oak, Sof (1966), # 55
Jackson, George P.(ed.) / Spiritual Folk Songs of Early America, Dover, Sof (1964/1937), p 82/# 51
Christmas Revels Chorus. Christmas Revels. Wassail! Wassail!, Revels RC 1082, LP (1982), trk# A.05
Golden Ring. Golden Ring. A Gathering of Friends for Making Music, Folk Legacy FSI 016, LP (1964), trk# 15
Seeger Family. American Folk Songs for Christmas, Rounder 0268/0269, LP (1989), trk# 21
Word of Mouth Chorus, Larry Gordon, Director, Nonesuch CD 71360. Sacred Harp Singing
OTHER NAMES: "'Ye Nations All"
SOURCES: Southern Harmony
NOTES: I included William Walker's epic Christmas song "The Babe of Bethlehem" in my Appalachian Christmas book published by Mel Bay in the 1990s. It appeared in William Walker's 1835 Southern Harmony.
The song was collected by Brown in NC:
554. Babe of Bethlehem
This is most of the first stanza of 'Babe of Bethlehem,' reprinted in full, with music, by Jackson SFSEA 82-3, from William Walker's Southern Harmony (compiled at Spartanburg, S. C, printed at New Haven, Conn., 1835). Dr. Brown's note "(Cut off)" may refer to the last two lines of stanza 1, which read:
As was foretold by prophets old,
Isaiah, Jeremiah.
The part of the stanza remembered by his informant has two errors: "Come view this sacred ration" for "Come hear this declaration" and "loyal Jews" for "royal Jews."
'Ye Nations All.' From MS in Dr. Brown's hand, on rough paper, evi-
dently taken down from a record or from dictation. At the end he has
written: "(Cut off)."
Ye nations all, on you I call.
Come view this sacred ration.
And don't refuse this glorious news,
And Jesus and salvation.
To loyal Jews came first the news
Of Christ the great Messiah.
The following text is from William Walker's Southern Harmony, first printed in New Haven, Connecticut in 1835, and revised several times since.
The Babe of Bethlehem- William Walker, 1935
1. Ye nations all, on you I call, come, near this declaration.
And don't refuse this glorious news of Jesus and salvation.
To royal Jews came first the news of Christ the great Messiah,
As was foretold by prophets old, Isaiah, Jeremiah.
2. To Abraham the promise came, and to his seed for ever,
A light to shine in Isaac's line, by scripture we discover;
Hail, promised morn! the Savior's born, the glorious Mediator--
God's blessed Word made flesh and blood, assumed the human nature.
3. His parents poor in earthly store, to entertain the stranger
They found no bed to lay his head, but in the ox's manger:
No royal things, as used by kings, were seen by those that found him,
But in the hay the stranger lay, with swaddling bands around him.
4. On the same night a glorious light to shepherds there appeared,
Bright angels said, "Be not afraid, although we much alarm you,"
The angels said, "Be not afraid, although we much alarm you,
We do appear good news to bear, as now we will inform you.
5. "The city's name is Bethlehem, in which God hath appointed,
This glorious morn a Savior's born, for him God hath anointed;
By this you'll know, if you will go, to see this little stranger,
His lovely charms in Mary's arms, both lying in a manger."
6. When this was said, straightway was made a glorious sound from heaven
Each flaming tongue an anthem sung, "To men a Savior's given,
In Jesus' name, the glorious theme, we elevate our voices,
At Jesus' birth be peace on earth, meanwhile all heaven rejoices."
7. Then with delight they took their flight, and winged their way to glory,
The shepherds gazed and were amazed, to hear the pleasing story;
To Bethlehem they quickly came, the glorious news to carry,
And in the stall they found them all, Joseph, the Babe, and Mary.
8. The shepherds then returned again to their own habitation,
With joy of heart they did depart, now they have found salvation.
Glory, they cry, to God on high, who sent his Son to save us
This glorious morn the Savior's born, his name it is Christ Jesus.
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