Puer natus in Bethlehem

Sung by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silo, Spain.



It's lovely, isn't it? The St. Cecilia Schola Cantorum says about this hymn that:

One of the many beautifully charming strophic chant hymns printed in the Liber Cantualis is Puer Natus in Bethlehem. Based on the text that begins the Christmas Day introit, this hymn tells the Nativity story in 14 full verses. The mp3 below records the Schola singing the first five. As you will hear, it is vigorous and exciting and suited for congregational participation.

Their mp3 is here. The video above includes only 4 of the 14 verses, these:

Puer natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia Unde gaudet Jerusalem, Alleluia, alleluia
In cordis jubilo, Christum natum adoremus, Cum novo cantico

Assumpsit carnem filius, Alleluia Dei Patris altissimus, Alleluia, Alleluia
In cordis jubilo, Christum natum adoremus, Cum novo cantico

In hoc natali gaudiio, Alleluia Benadicamus Domino, alleluia, alleluia
In cordis jubilo, Christum natum adoremus, Cum novo cantico

Laudetur sancta trinitas, alleluia Deo di camus gratias, alleluia, alleluia
In cordis jubilo, Christum natum adoremus, Cum novo cantico.

Here's an English translation of only those verses:

A Child is born in Bethlehem, Alleluia The reason for Jerusalem's joy, Alleluia, Alleluia
With joyful heart let us adore Christ's birth, With a new song

Taking flesh is the Son Of God the Father most high, Alleluia, Alleluia
With joyful heart let us adore Christ's birth, With a new song

For this joyful birth  Alleluia Let us bless the Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia
With joyful heart let us adore Christ's birth, With a new song

Praised be the Holy Trinity, Alleluia Thanks be to God that we may boldly say, Alleluia, Alleluia
With joyful heart let us adore Christ's birth, With a new song

Wikipedia offers 11 verses, with a different set of words and this English translation:

1. Puer natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia. Unde gaudet Jerusalem. Alleluia.
2. Hic jacet in præsepio, Alleluia. Qui regnat sine termino. Alleluia.
3. Cognovit bos et asinus, Alleluia. Quod puer erat Dominus. Alleluia.
4. Reges de Sabâ veniunt, Alleluia. Aurum, thus, myrrhum offerunt. Alleluia.
5. Intrantes domum invicem, Alleluia. Novum salutant principem. Alleluia.
6. De matre natus virgine, Alleluia. Sine virili semine; Alleluia.
7. Sine serpentis vulnere, Alleluia. De nostro venit sanguine; Alleluia.
8. In carne nobis similis, Alleluia. Peccato sed dissimilis; Alleluia.
9. Ut redderet nos homines, Alleluia. Deo et sibi similes. Alleluia.
10. In hoc natali gaudio, Alleluia. Benedicamus Domino: Alleluia.
11. Laudetur sancta Trinitas, Alleluia. Deo dicamus gratias. Alleluia.


1. A Child is born in Bethlehem; Exult for joy, Jerusalem! Alleluia.
2. Lo, He who reigns above the skies There, in a manger lowly, lies. Alleluia.
3. The ox and ass in neighbouring stall See in that Child the Lord of all. Alleluia.
4. And kingly pilgrims, long foretold, From East bring incense, myrrh, and gold, Alleluia.
5. And enter with their offerings, To hail the new-born King of Kings. Alleluia.
6. He comes, a maiden mother's Son, Yet earthly father hath He none; Alleluia.
7. And, from the serpent's poison free, He owned our blood and pedigree. Alleluia.
8. Our feeble flesh and His the same, Our sinless kinsman He became, Alleluia.
9. That we, from deadly thrall set free, Like Him, and so like God, should be. Alleluia.
10. Come then, and on this natal day, Rejoice before the Lord and pray. Alleluia.
11. And to the Holy One in Three Give praise and thanks eternally. Alleluia.

Translated by Hamilton Montgomerie MacGill, 1876

CPDL offers these 14 (15? - the et Angelus pastoribus stanza does not seem to appear in the English) verses, and the English translation - again by H.M. MacGill, below: 

Puer natus in Bethlehem,
Unde gaudet Jerusalem,
alleluia.

Refrain:
In cordis jubilo,
Christum natum adoremus
Cum novo cantico.

Assumpsit carnem Filius,
Dei Patris altissimus,
alleluia.

Per Gabrielem nuntium,
Virgo concepit Filium,
alleluia.

Tamquam sponsus de thalamo,
Processit Matris utero,
alleluia.

Hic iacet in praesepio,
Qui regnat sine termino,
alleluia.

Cognovit bos et asinus,
Quod puer erat Dominus.
alleluia.

Et Angelus pastoribus,
Revelat quod sit Dominus,
alleluia.

Reges de Saba Veniunt,
Aurum thus myrrham offerunt,
alleluia.

Intrantes domum invicem,
Novum salutant Principem,
alleluia.

De Matre natus Virgine,
Sine virili semine,
alleluia.

Sine serpentis vulnere,
De nostro venit sanguine,
alleluia.

In carne nobis similis,
Peccato sed dissimilis,
alleluia.

Ut redderet nos homines,
Deo et sibi similes,
alleluia.

In hoc natali gaudio,
Benedicamus Domino,
alleluia.

Laudetur sancta Trinitas,
Deo dicamus gratias,
alleluia.A child is born in Bethlehem,
Exult for joy, Jerusalem!
Allelujah.

Refrain (literal translation):
With an exultant heart,
let us adore the new-born Christ,
with a new song.

The Son of God the Father,
In the highest has taken flesh,
Allelujah.

By angel Gabriel announced,
The virgin has conceived the Son.
Allelujah.

Like a bridegroom from the chamber,
He proceeds from the womb of the mother.
Allelujah.

Lo he who reigns above the skies,
There in a manger lowly, lies.
Allelujah.

The ox and ass in neighb'ring stall,
See in that child the Lord of all.
Allelujah.





And kingly pilgrims, long foretold,
From East bring incense, myrrh and gold,
Allelujah.

And enter with their offerings,
To hail the newborn King of Kings.
Allelujah.

He comes, a maiden mother's Son,
Yet earthly father has He none;
Allelujah.

And from the serpent's poison free,
He owned our blood and pedigree,
Allelujah.

Our feeble flesh and His the same,
Our sinless kinsman He became,
Allelujah.

That we, from deadly thrall set free,
Like Him, and so like God, should be.
Allelujah.

Come then, and on his natal day,
Rejoice before the Lord and pray.
Allelujah.

And to the holy One in Three.
Give praise and thanks eternally.
Allelujah.

CPDL also has this to say about the song:

This Christmas hymn was especially popular during the ancient period. Its author is unknown. The oldest Latin text found so far is contained in a Benedictine book dating from the beginning of the fourteenth century. The Latin text, which is found in many different redactions ranging from six to twelve stanzas, has, very likely, been composed by several authors. Consequently, it has undergone many changes due to omissions, revisions, and additions. “Puer natus” was translated into German in 1439 by Heinrich von Laufenberg. Later on a number of German versions appeared. In the old German, Danish, and Swedish hymnals a translation in the vernacular was inserted immediately after each Latin stanza. It has been surmised that the choir sang the Latin and the congregation sang translations of the same. The German rendering most extensively used was that found in Val. Babst’s Gesangbuch, 1545: “Ein Kind geboren zu Bethlehem.” This contains ten stanzas with the German translation inserted after each stanza except the second. The English version included in The Lutheran Hymnary was made by Philip Schaff and was printed in his Christ in Song, 1869. There are at least eleven other English translations.

In regard to the third stanza, Skaar quotes from the hymnological works of Daniel: “On many early medieval paintings representing the nativity of Christ, as well as in Christmas hymns, are found an ox and an ass. This practice has been ascribed to a faulty rendering of the passage, Hab. 3:2: ‘In the midst of beasts make known’; for ‘In the midst of the years make it known.’ They concluded from Is. 1:3 that the two ‘beasts’ referred to were the ox and the ass: ‘The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib.’ These passages are taken to be the Biblical basis for the old Christmas stanza: ‘Cognovit bos et asinus, quod puer erat Dominus, Halleluja’ (The ox and the ass knew that the Child was the Lord).” Nutzhorn claims that the expression is rather. an “innocent desire for free poetic representation of the circumstances surrounding the nativity of Christ.” [Dahle, Library of Christians Hymns]

Here's the chant score:

Merry Christmas to all!