Often
things of great beauty have some degree of strangeness in the proportion, and
that is certainly true of this beautiful, but odd, carol.
I Saw Three Ships dates back to the 15th
Century, but we are familiar with the 19th Century arrangement by Sir John Stainer. The song is a traditional English carol,
possibly from Derbyshire. The meaning of
three ships in land-locked Bethlehem has puzzled your correspondent for
years. Some scholars believe this carol
references the arrival in Cologne in 1162 of the bodies of the Three Magi after
the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa razed the city of Milan, where the remains of the Magi had
rested.
There are
several variant lyrics, including Our
Saviour Christ and his lady instead of The
Virgin Mary and Christ were there in verse three, and a line that speaks
about Mary and Joseph with O, he did
whistle and she did sing.
Your
correspondent must confess to a particular liking for this carol; I could not
explain what I find so compelling, but it is the one that I most often hum to
myself.
I saw three ships come
sailing in
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
I saw three ships come
sailing in
On Christmas day in
the morning.
And what was in those
ships all three,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day?
And what was in those
ships all three,
On Christmas day in
the morning?
Our Savior Christ and
His lady,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
Our Savior Christ and
His lady,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
Pray whither sailed
those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day?
Pray whither sailed
those ships all three,
On Christmas day in
the morning?
O they sailed into
Bethlehem,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day,
O they sailed into
Bethlehem,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
And all the bells on
earth shall ring,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
And all the bells on
earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
And all the angels in
Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
And all the angels in
Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
And all the souls on
Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
And all the souls on
Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
Then let us all
rejoice amain,
On Christmas day, on
Christmas day;
Then let us rejoice
amain,
On Christmas day in
the morning.
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