This Advent/Christmas hymn is from the 16th century, its authorship unknown. The tune and harmonies commonly used today were composed by Michael Praetorius in 1609. The original lyrics were written in German, and were translated by Theodore Baker in 1894 into the text most well known to English speakers today:
1
Lo,
how a rose e'er blooming,
From
tender stem hath sprung.
Of
Jesse's lineage coming,
As
men of old have sung;
It
came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid
the cold of winter,
When
half spent was the night.
2
Isaiah
'twas foretold it,
The
Rose I have in mind,
With
Mary we behold it,
The
virgin mother kind;
To
show God's love aright,
She
bore to men a Savior,
When
half spent was the night.
3
This flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load.
The legend that Jesus was born "when half-spent was the night" (midnight) is a reminder of the pagan underpinnings of our modern Christmas celebration. Every culture throughout history has had some sort of celebration around the winter solstice (December 21st in the northern hemisphere). Nearly always these traditions centered around the themes of light and darkness -- bidding the return of longer days and shorter nights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU-E46o0sp0&list=RDkU-E46o0sp0&start_radio=1
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