Ben Jonsons Carol

The words of this lovely Christmas Carol 'I sing the birth was born tonight' were written by the celebrated Elizabethan Playwright Ben Jonson (1573-1637) - a contemporary of William Shakespeare. The hymn has therefore been given an alternate name - 'Ben Jonson's Carol'. Sir Arthur Sullivan composed the music which is most associated with the hymn. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan was born in Lambeth, London, in 1842. A musical child prodigy he composed his own anthem when he was just 8 years old. He is best known for his famous collaboration with W. S. Gilbert ( William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911) during 1871 to 1896 when they produced their fourteen much loved comic operas.

Ben Jonsons Carol
Christmas Carol Lyrics

I sing the birth was born tonight,
The Author both of life and light:
The angels so did sound it,
The angels so did sound it, so did sound it;
The like the ravished shepherds said,
Who saw the light and were afraid,
Yet searched, and true they found it,
Yet searched, and true they found it,
True they found it, and true they found it.

The Son of God, the eternal King,
That did us all salvation bring,
And freed the world from danger,
And freed the world from danger, freed from danger,
He whom the whole world could not take,
The Word which heaven and earth did make,
Was now laid in a manger,
Was now laid in a manger
In a manger, laid in a manger.

What comfort do we by Him win,
Who made Himself the price of sin,
To make us heirs of glory!
To make us heirs of glory, heirs of glory!
To see this Babe, all innocence,
A Martyrs born in our defense--
Can man forget the story,
Can man forget,
Can man forget the story,
Forget the story?
Can man forget the story?


Ben Jonsons Carol
Christmas Carol Lyrics