Friday, December 21, 2012

A Medley of Christmas Carols Part IV: I Saw Three Ships



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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