The original version of a well-known Christmas song. Provenance uncertain, but certain aspects of the melody, such as the end of the versus, point towards an origin not in the main continental tradition, but rather in some of the more peripheral provinces, e.g. in the English sphere or possibly in the Scandinavian countries. Sheet music can be found at and a more detailed analysis of the melody and its reception history at The sung version goes back to an earlier layer in the transmission of the text, whereas the printed manuscript (uh - printuscript?) appears to represent a later stage in its development.
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