Leanabh an aigh

Child in the manger!
Infant of Mary;
Outcast and stranger,
Lord of all!
Child who inherits
All our transgressions,
All our demerits
On Him fall!

Monarchs have tender
Delicate children,
Nourished in splendour,
Proud and gay;
Death soon shall banish
Honour and beauty,
Pleasure shall vanish,
Forms decay.

But the most holy
Child of Salvation,
Gently and lowly
Lived below;
Now as our glorious
Mighty Redeemer,
See Him victorious
O'er each foe.

Prophets foretold Him—
Infant of wonder;
Angels behold Him
On His throne;
Worthy our Saviour
Of all their praises,
Happy for ever
Are His own.

—Mary MacDonald, trans. Lachlan MacBean
From The Songs and Hymns of the Gael, Lachlan MacBean.


Tune: "Bunessan," traditional Gaelic melody (MIDI courtesy The Cyber Hymnal).

About the Authors

Mary MacDonald (1789–1872) and Lachlan MacBean (1853–1931) are two figures mostly forgotten today. About the only biographical information I can find is as follows: MacDonald was the daughter of a Baptist preacher, and her hometown was Bunessan in the Isle of Mull (for which the tune is named), and MacBean was a Scotsman who translated many forgotten Gaelic songs.

Thoughts

Well, we'll see if I can pick up blogging again after dropping it for a time. It's all about priorities, and I want this blog to be up near the top of my list.

I was first introduced to this little gem while looking up the tune to "Morning Has Broken"; I discovered that these are the original words to the tune. This text is, in my opinion, one of the best of the forgotten Christmas hymns. (I often see it without the second verse, and I would probably agree with that omission.)

As for a recommended recording, I am partial to the arrangement of the tune that the St. Andrew's Strings did on their album Simple Gifts (via iTunes [MP3] or Ligonier Ministries [CD]).