Tuesday 25 December 2012

A Merry Christmas...


A Very Happy Christmas to all readers of
'The Land of Lost Content'


The True Christmas by Henry Vaughan (1621-1695) 
So stick up ivy and the bays,
And then restore the heathen ways.

Green will remind you of the spring,
Though this great day denies the thing.
And mortifies the earth and all
But your wild revels, and loose hall.
Could you wear flowers, and roses strow
Blushing upon your breasts' warm snow,
That very dress your lightness will
Rebuke, and wither at the ill.
The brightness of this day we owe
Not unto music, masque, nor show:
Nor gallant furniture, nor plate;
But to the manger's mean estate.

His life while here, as well as birth,
Was but a check to pomp and mirth;
And all man's greatness you may see
Condemned by His humility.
     Then leave your open house and noise,
To welcome Him with holy joys,
And the poor shepherd's watchfulness:
Whom light and hymns from heaven did bless.
What you abound with, cast abroad
To those that want, and ease your load.
Who empties thus, will bring more in;
But riot is both loss and sin.
Dress finely what comes not in sight,
And then you keep your Christmas right.

And as a musical offering I recommend Gustav Holst's majestic Personent Hodie sung by King's college Cambridge. 





2 comments:

Ralph Spurrier said...

Just a quick note to say MANY THANKS for the enormous effort you put into this website. I rarely leave any comment but I read nearly every one of your entries and have been led to many recordings that I would never have realised existed without this site.

John France said...

Thanks for that Ralph - it is most encouraging to hear you say this!

John F