Christmas Music: What Child is This

Bien qu’à l’origine, Greensleeves ne figurait pas parmi les cantiques de Christmas, il en a fait partie depuis que l’air a été repris, et la chanson renommée What Child is This. Selon l’histoire, il aurait d’abord pris la forme d’un manuscrit, rédigé en l’honneur d’une dame aux manches vertes, dénommée Anne Boleyn. Son titre proviendrait donc de la fusion des mots «Green» et «Sleeves», se traduisant respectivement dans la langue française par «Vert» et «Manches».

Again, since this is such an ancient song, very little information is known about it. However, it is believed to date back to the 16th century, and to have been composed by King Henry VIII. The earliest known version of Greensleeves is said to date from 1580, and to have appeared under the title "A New Northern Ditty of the Lady Green Sleeves." However, since no record of it survives, the name of the author remains unknown.

Par la suite, Greensleeves fut transformé en un chant de Noël, auquel on y ajouta des paroles chrétiennes, et on lui donna le titre de «What Child is This», ou «Quel est l’enfant» en français. La mélodie devint quant à elle fort populaire, et fut utilisée dans le film le film «La Conquête de l’Ouest». Elle constitue également le thème d’une série québécoise, «Le Survenant», basée sur un roman datant de 1945, laquelle a donné birth plusieurs années plus tard à un film du même titre.

As for the artists who have lent their voices to this Christmas carol, they include Neil Young, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Andrea Bocelli, as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Youtube video

Youtube video

Words

What child is this
Who lay to rest
Is Mary's lap sleeping?
Whom angels greet
With sweet anthems
While shepherds watch
Are you keeping?

Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and lamb are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for all sinners here
The silent word is pleading.

This, This is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard
And angels sing
Haste, oh oh haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary

What child is this
Who lay to rest
Is Mary's lap sleeping?
Whom angels greet
With sweet anthems
While shepherds watch
Are you keeping?

Whoah oh oh
This, This is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard (shepherds guard)
And angels sing (and angels sing)
Haste, oh oh haste to bring him laud
The babe, (the babe) the son of Mary (the son of Mary)

What child is this
Who lay to rest
Is Mary's lap sleeping?
What child (what child)
Whom angels greet
With sweet anthems
While shepherds watch
Are you keeping?

What child is this
Who lay to rest
Is Mary's lap sleeping?
Whom angels greet
With sweet anthems
While shepherds watch
Are you keeping?
(watch are keeping)

This, This is Christ the King (this is Christ the King)
Whom shepherds guard (who the shepherds guard)
And angels sing (and the angels sing)
Haste, (haste) oh oh haste to bring Him laud
The babe, the son (the babe) of Mary (son of Mary)
The baby the son of Mary