1. When Jesus Christ had lived
Full thirty years or more,
He work-ed many wondrous works
With His twelve apostles pure.
2. He delivered up the twelve
A sacrament to take;
He shewed Simon an Hebrew house
A Testament to make.
3. Then Judas with the Jews
Our Saviour did betray;
And unto him for thirty pence
Jesus was sold away.
4. Then Judas he came in
With a troop of arm-ed men,
And bound his Master fast in bonds,
In whom there was no sin.
5. And for His garments brave
The soldiers did cast dice.
Which was a garment without seam
And a jewel of great price.
6. They led Him on straightway
Unto His judgment place;
Without God's leave He was condemned
To die in vile disgrace.
7. Between two ruffian rogues
They nailed our Saviour up;
They left His body there to bleed
In torment's bitter cup.
8. They nailed His hands and feet.
And crowned His head with thorns.
And gave Him vinegar to drink
With many reproachful scorns.
9. Now all things seemed to mourn
When our blessed Saviour died;
The hills and rocks did rend,
The mountains did divide.
l0. The heavens themselves grew very dark,
The moon forsook her light;
And for three hours in the dav
It was a dismal sight.
11. The earth did tremble and quake,
And graves did open wide;
Dead men's ghosts walked up and down
In a frightful manner beside.
12. At any Christmas time,
Amongst good Christians all,
This Christmas carol may be sung
In any house or hall.
Cecil Sharp's note
Mr. Bates sang from a copy of A Good Christmas Box, from which the words in the text have been copied. The carol is mentioned in Hone's list.[1]
Notes
This work was published before January 1, 1924, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.