The Animals Christmas Carol

[Colleen Friday]

Written in the 12th or early 13 century by Pierre de Corbeil the melody was originaaly associated with a Christmas text which began "Orientus partibus andventavis asinus" or "From the Eastern Lands the donkey has now come."


Chorus
Jesus, our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude;
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

"I" said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
"I,carried His mother uphill and down;
"I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.
"I" said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

"I" said the cow, all white and red,
"I, gave Him my manager for His bed:
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.
I," said the cow , all white and red.

"I" said the sheep with curly horn,
"I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm,
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.
I" said the sheep with the curly horn.

"I" said the dove, from the rafters high,
"I, cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry,
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I.
I," said the dove from the rafters high.

And every beast, by some good spell,
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gifts the gave Emmanuel,
The gift they gave Emmanuel.


After coming across this Animal Christmas carol I got to wandering if this is where that tale about animals talking at midnight on Christmas eve. As children our parents used to tell us about our animals chatting to each other and to people. As we were always at a midnight service we could never
prove or disprove this theory.

Hope you all have a wonderful blessed Christmas .

[rebecca drew]

thank you so much for this colleen!! this is one of my very favorite poems, and so is the story! bless you my friend and have a blessed christmas!!

[Effie Truver]

This is really beautiful and who are we to say these things don't happen. In the old testament in the book of Numbers, 22:22 is a story of an ass who speaks to Baalam. If God created it He can do anything else He wants to for His amusement. Thanks for sharing this, Colleen.........Blessings! Effie

[Sabriyah Fatimah]

We have many miraculous stories in Islam about animals that spoke to people. One was a wolf who had caught a sheep and when cornered by the shepherd said, "This is the provision that God Almighty (Allah) gave me, you have plenty more sheep." The man said, "Glory to God, how strange, a talking wolf." The wolf said, "I know something stranger. God has sent a prophet to the people of the next town and they won't believe in him." The shepherd immediately set off for that town and followed the prophet.

We also know about children who spoke in infancy, including Jesus (peace be upon him).

Have a beautiful, wonder-ful Christmas.