Coventry Carol - Lullay Lullay Christmas Carol - Lyrics

The "Coventry Carol" is an English Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was traditionally 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: the carol itself refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed, and takes the form of a lullaby sung by mothers of the doomed children.

The drawings in the background of the video are of the scenery from the famous painting "Massacre of the Innocents" by 16th-century Netherlandish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The painting translates the the scene from the song to a snowy winter scene in the Netherlands.

The Massacre of the Innocents is commemorated on 28 December in the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican church calendars, as the fourth day of Christmastide.

Lullay, thou little tiny child,

Bye bye, lully, lullay.

Lullay, thou little tiny child,

Bye bye, lully, lullay.

Herod thy king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might in his own sight

Would children young to slay

Then woe is me, poor child, for thee

And ever mourn and say

For thy parting nor say nor sing,

Bye bye, lully, lullay

I hope you enjoy singing along to this lovely rendition of Coventry Carol  sung by Susan K Hawthorne