What Child Is This?
Christmas Choir & The London Fox Choir Lyrics
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Who lay to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
The Babe, the son of Mary
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant king to own him
The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone him
Raise, raise to the song on high
The virgin sings a lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born
The Babe, the son of Mary
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Joy, joy for Christ is born
The Babe, the son of Mary
The Babe, the son of Mary
The Babe, the son of Mary
The first verse of "What Child Is This" shows the scene of Mary and the baby Jesus, with the angels singing sweet anthems overhead and shepherds watching over the baby. The question that is being asked is "who is this child lying in the manger?" As the song progresses into the chorus, the answer comes as it is revealed that this child is Christ the King, who is being guarded by shepherds and sung to by angels. The song speaks of the joy that his arrival brings.
The second verse of the song speaks about bringing incense, gold, and myrrh to him, as offerings fit for a king. The peasant king is called upon to own him, which means to acknowledge Jesus' reign and to worship him. Jesus is referred to as the King of Kings because of his salvation, which brings salvation to all those who have loving hearts, who are called to enthrone him. In the final message of the song, the virgin sings a lullaby to Jesus and there is joy for Christ's birth.
Overall, the song highlights the wonder and mystery of Jesus' birth, with the question being posed at the beginning and answered with a resounding call to worship him. The song is a call to all to come and see this wondrous child and to acknowledge him as the King of Kings.
Line by Line Meaning
What child is this
Who is this child that we see sleeping?
Who lay to rest
Who has been laid down to sleep?
On Mary's lap is sleeping
The child in question is fast asleep on Mary's lap.
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
The angels sing sweet songs to welcome the child.
While shepherds watch are keeping
While the shepherds are watching over and protecting him.
This, this is Christ the King
This child is none other than Christ, the King.
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
The shepherds are guarding him and the angels are singing his praises.
Joy, joy for Christ is born
We must all rejoice because Christ has been born.
The Babe, the son of Mary
This child is Mary's son, the Babe.
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Let us offer him precious gifts like incense, gold and myrrh.
Come peasant king to own him
Even the poorest among us can come and claim him as our king.
The King of Kings salvation brings
This child, who is the King of Kings, has come to bring us salvation.
Let loving hearts enthrone him
We should enshrine him in our hearts with love.
Raise, raise to the song on high
We should all lift our voices high to sing his praises.
The virgin sings a lullaby
Even Mary sings to soothe her sleeping son.
The Babe, the son of Mary
This child is Mary's son, the Babe.
The Babe, the son of Mary
This child is Mary's son, the Babe.
The Babe, the son of Mary
This child is Mary's son, the Babe.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tim Mather, TRAD TRAD, TRAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind