In The Bleak Midwinter
by Christina Rossetti
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
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8 comments:
This one has obviously put to music, beautifully, over the years, but started out as a poem by Ms. Rossetti. I particularly love the imagery in verse 1- "earth stood hard as iron", a great winter image.
this is a great song, and an even better message. Thank you for posting each day, it provides a great time to just sit and reflect the season
You know, there's a band I like who recorded a nice version of this ... ;-)
sigh. my favorite. i have long loved Christina Rossetti and winters just aren't the same without this poem.
I often feel that winter is bleak just before color breaks forth with Christ's birth. It reminds us of our depravity and His beauty and grace.
"but only His mother...worshipped the Beloved with a kiss." As a mother these particular words make me want to cry because it brings back beautiful memories. Imagine... to kiss the face of God.
Uhmmm yeah I was wondering if it was the same as the song, I love the song, so the poem is also perfect, I have not been commenting, cuz I was away, you know doing what =] LOL FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Mom calls me every Christmas Day and sings this to me over the phone. It would still be Christmas without it, but it's a gift I will always treasure.
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