"Lullay, mine liking" is a Middle English

Middle English

Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....

 lyric poem

Lyric poetry

Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...

 or carol

Carol (music)

A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....

 of the 15th century which frames a narrative describing an encounter of the Nativity

Nativity of Jesus

The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....

 with a song sung by the Virgin Mary to the infant Christ. The refrain is an early example of an English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 lullaby

Lullaby

A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....

; the term "lullaby" is thought to originate with the "lu lu" or "la la" sound made by mothers or nurses to calm children, and "by" or "bye bye", another lulling sound (for example in the similarly ancient Coventry Carol

Coventry Carol

The "Coventry Carol" is a Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. The play depicts the Christmas story from chapter two in the Gospel of Matthew...

).

There are a number of surviving medieval English verses associated with the birth of Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

 which take the form of a lullaby, of which this is probably the most famous example. Written by an anonymous hand

Anonymus

Anonymus is the Latin spelling of anonymous. This Latin spelling, however, is traditionally used by scholars in the humanities to refer to any ancient writer whose name is not known, or to a manuscript of their work...

, the text is found singularly in the Sloane Manuscript 2593, a collection of medieval lyrics now held in the British Library

British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...

.

Originally intended to be sung, no evidence of the work's musical setting survives, and since its rediscovery and popularisation it has formed the basis for a number of modern choral and vocal works. The musical possibilities suggested by the text have led to diverse interpretations by numerous composers including Edgar Pettman

Edgar Pettman

Edgar Pettman was an English organist, choral conductor and music editor. Born in Dunkirk, Kent, in 1881 he entered the Royal Academy of Music where he was taught under George Alexander Macfarren. He was organist at a number of London churches, including St Mary's, Kilburn and St James's Church,...

, Peter Warlock

Peter Warlock

Peter Warlock was a pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine , an Anglo-Welsh composer and music critic. He used the pseudonym when composing, and is now better known by this name....

, R. R. Terry

Richard Runciman Terry

Sir Richard Runciman Terry was an English organist, choir director and musicologist. He is noted for his pioneering revival of Tudor liturgical music. He is often credited as R. R. Terry or simply R...

, Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst

Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....

, Ronald Corp

Ronald Corp

Ronald Corp is a composer, conductor, and Church of England priest. He is founder and Artistic Director of the New London Orchestra and the New London Children's Choir. Corp is Musical Director of the London Chorus, a position he took up in 1994, and is also Musical Director of the Highgate Choral...

, David Willcocks, Philip Lawson and Richard Rodney Bennett

Richard Rodney Bennett

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...

. These are sometimes titled "I saw a fair maiden" whereas "Myn Lyking" is used in the versions by R.R. Terry and Ronald Corp (as the first of the latter's Three Medieval Carols).

Text

Middle English original spelling	Middle English converted	English modernisation
Refrain Lullay, myn lykyng, my dere sone, myn swetyng, Lullay, my dere herte, myn owyn dere derlyng.	Refrain Lullay, mine Liking, my dere sone, mine sweting, Lullay, my dere herte, mine own dere derling.	Refrain Lullay, mine Liking, my dear Son, mine Sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling.
I saw a fayr maydyn syttyn and synge, Sche lullyd a lytyl chyld, a swete lordyng, Refrain	I saw a fair maiden, sitten and singe, Sche lulled a litel child, a swete lording. Refrain	I saw a fair maiden, sitting and sing, She lulled a little child a sweet lording: Refrain
That eche lord is that that made alle thinge, Of alle lordis he is lord, of alle kynges kyng. Refrain	That eche lord is that that made alle thinge; Of alle lordes he is Lord, of alle Kinges kings. Refrain	That very lord is He that made all things Of all lords He is Lord (and) King of all kings. Refrain
Ther was mekyl melody at that chyldes berthe, Alle tho wern in hevene blys thei made mekyl merthe, Refrain	There was a mekel melody at that childes berthe; Alle tho wern in hevene bliss, they made mekel merthe. Refrain	There was a mickle (much) melody at that Child's birth, All that were in heaven's bliss, they made mickle mirth. Refrain
Aungelebryt thei song that nyt and seydyn to that chyld, "Blyssid be thou, and so be sche that is bothe mek and myld". Refrain	Aungele bright they song that night, and seiden to that child, "Blessed be thou, and so be sche that is bothe meke and mild." Refrain	Angels bright they sang that night and saiden to that Child, "Blessed be Thou, and so be she that is both meek and mild." Refrain
Prey we now to that chyld, and to his moder dere, Grawnt hem his blyssyng that now makyn chere. Refrain	Prey we now to that child, and to his moder dere, Graunt hem his blessing that now maken chere. Refrain	Pray we now to that Child, and to His mother dear, Grant them His blessing that now maken cheer. Refrain