On April 7, 2008, Gifford started co-hosting the fourth hour of NBC's Today Show with Hoda Kotb. The show's ratings increased by 14 points within the first two months of Gifford's arrival.
What Child Is This
Kathie Lee Gifford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
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 the song on high,
The Virgin sing her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Kathie Lee Gifford's rendition of What Child Is This is an enchanting classic that not only tells the tale of the Nativity but also laments the fate of Jesus Christ. The song's opening verse uses vivid imagery to depict the scene of a newborn Christ who is lying on Mary's lap amidst shepherds watching over him while angels sing sweet anthems in his honour. The line "This, this is Christ the King" affirms the divine nature of Christ while tying Him to the traditional notion of a King who is worthy of praise and honour by those around Him.
The second verse of the song takes a darker turn, as it delves into the fate of Christ. The line, "Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?" establishes that the King of Kings has been brought low in his quest to save humankind. The phrase "the silent word pleading" serves as a vehicle to lament Christ's eventual sacrifice for sinners with the hope that devotees heed God's word.
The song's final verse talks of bringing Christ gifts of incense, gold and myrrh. The lines "Come, peasant, king, to own him. The King of Kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him" inspire devotees from all social strata to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ. The line "Joy, joy, for Christ is born" is a call to all Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ and the possibilities that come with salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
Who is the child that is sleeping on Mary's lap?
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
The child is asleep on Mary's lap.
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
The child is greeted by angels singing sweet songs.
While shepherds watch are keeping?
The shepherds are watching over the child.
This, this is Christ the King,
This sleeping child is Christ the King.
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Both shepherds and angels are guarding and singing for Christ the King.
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
Let's hurry to praise him.
The babe, the son of Mary.
He is the infant son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Why is he lying in such a lowly place?
Where ox and ass are feeding?
He is lying where the ox and ass are eating.
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
Christian, be afraid because sinners are present.
The silent Word is pleading.
The Word of God is silently pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
He will be pierced by nails and a spear.
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
He will bear the cross for both me and you.
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
Praise the Word of God made flesh.
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
He is still the infant son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Bring him gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh.
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
Peasant or king, come to acknowledge him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
The King of kings brings salvation.
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Let's crown him with our love.
Raise, raise the song on high,
Sing the songs of praise loudly.
The Virgin sing her lullaby:
The Virgin sings a lullaby to her child.
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
Celebrate with joy because Christ is born.
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
He is still the infant son of Mary.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas E Wagner, William C Dix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind