Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
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SHE 1 gave with joy her virgin breast; | |
She hid it not, she bared the breast | |
Which suckled that divinest babe! | |
Blessed, blessed, were the breasts | |
Which the Saviour infant kissed; | 5 |
And blessed, blessed was the mother, | |
Who wrapped His limbs in swaddling clothes, | |
Singing placed Him on her lap, | |
Hung o’er Him with her looks of love, | |
And soothed Him with a lulling motion. | 10 |
Blessed, for she sheltered Him | |
From the damp and chilling air; | |
Blessed, blessed for she lay | |
With such a babe in one blest bed, | |
Close as babes and mothers lie. | 15 |
Blessed, blessed evermore, | |
With her virgin lips she kiss’d, | |
With her arms and to her breast | |
She embraced the babe divine, | |
Her babe divine the virgin mother! | 20 |
There lives not on this ring of earth | |
A mortal that can sing her praise. | |
Mighty mother, virgin pure, | |
In the darkness and the night, | |
For us she bore the heavenly Lord. | 25 |