The Coventry Carol
The Monks of Glenstal Abbey Lyrics

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Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child
Bye Bye Lully Lullay
O Sisters Too How May We Do?
For To Preserve This Day
This Poor Youngling For Whom We Do Sing
Bye Bye Lully Lullay
Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child
Bye Bye Lully Lullay

Herod The King In His Raging
Charged He Hath This Day
His Men Of Might In His Own Sight
All Young Children To Slay
Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child
Bye Bye Lully Lullay
That Woe Is Me Poor Child For Thee
And Ever Mourn And Say
For Thy Parting Neither Say Nor Sing
Bye Bye Lully Lullay

Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child
Bye Bye Lully Lullay

Overall Meaning

The Coventry Carol is a traditional Christmas carol that originated during the medieval period. The song narrates the biblical story of Herod's slaughter of male infants in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus. The first stanza starts with "Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child," which is a lullaby addressed to the baby Jesus. The sisters referred in the lines "O Sisters Too How May We Do?" are the midwives attending to the newborns. They were worried about how they could protect Baby Jesus from Herod's soldiers, and the rest of the song is a conversation between the midwives about their feelings for the innocent children slain.

The second stanza depicts the rage of King Herod, who commands the death of all the newborn males to save his throne from the prophesied "king of the Jews." The midwives mourn for the loss of the young and innocent. They lament that the baby Jesus must be separated from his mother forever as she also has to flee from the murderous soldiers. The last few lines of the song state that there is no comforting the baby Jesus's mother, and both she and the midwives are filled with unending sorrow, which explains the line, "And ever Mourn and Say."

Line by Line Meaning

Lully Lullau Thou Little Tiny Child
Oh, little, innocent child, sleeping peacefully

Bye Bye Lully Lullay
Goodbye, little one, sleep well

O Sisters Too How May We Do?
Oh, sisters, what can we do?

For To Preserve This Day
To protect this day

This Poor Youngling For Whom We Do Sing
This young innocent one whom we sing for

Herod The King In His Raging
King Herod in his anger

Charged He Hath This Day
Ordered on this day

His Men Of Might In His Own Sight
His powerful men in his presence

All Young Children To Slay
To slay all young children

That Woe Is Me Poor Child For Thee
How sad it is for this poor child

And Ever Mourn And Say
To always mourn and say