FOURTH ACTION(The Light-Child)

APPROACHING-SPACE and STEPS A; Then, STAGE A

Approaching along the path, JOSEPH and hisGrouppause, confronted by the BEASTS.

JOSEPHGod save you, Sir Lion!LIONSave yourself, Sir Man—if you can.WOLFLook sharp: there’s more there behind.BEARThey carry a trough there. What’s in it?SHEPHERDKeep off!—Aim your blows, fellows: strike!(TheShepherds, with their crooks, drive back theBeasts.Josephintervenes.)JOSEPHStay, good Shepherds! Put away your crooks.Fear nothing, Mary.These wild folk crave our leave to behold the ChildAnd do Him homage.LIONMan-child!—Yarrr!JOSEPH(Pausing before the Evergreen Tree)Pray you set down the manger. Now, Sir Beasts,And you, Elf Folk, will it please you draw near and look in?(On either side theShepherdsdraw back, revealing at centre theManger, out from which a wonderful glow shines upward, touching the faces of theShepherdsand hushing theBeastswith awe.)TREEThe light! The light!Second Chorus: A,2. Light of the WorldCHORUSWhere sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?Alleluia!Lo, as a babe, it sleepeth in a little manger:Light of the World! Alleluia!The dark is his cradle;The beasts come about him;The stars in their watchesAre covered with cloud.Home hath he none;The desert receives him—The place of outcastsAnd lonely things.No sound is heard thereSave shepherds singing;The lords of earthAvert their faces;Dark—dark is his cradle.Yet surely will dawn break with light of his new morrow:Alleluia!Yea, for the babe that sleepeth in a little mangerIs Light of the World: Alleluia!(TheFairiesandBeastspeer in theMangerwith awed delight. Murmuring aloud, they speak toJoseph.)ELFMay we not dance for him?GNOMEAnd make gambols?LIONMay I give him my bone? ’Twill make him a rare toy!BEAROoff!—If he lie in my lap, my fur will warm him.WOLFLook-ee! If I wag my tail for him, he will laugh.JOSEPHHush! He is asleep. Please do not wake Him.(TheBeastsdraw back. Kneeling down withElfandGnome, all Five sing together.)Carol 3. Luck SongTHE BEASTS AND FAIRIESWhile this Light-Child sleeping lies,Word or murmur never wake him!But when he shall open his eyes,Mirth and antics we will make him.Amen!JOSEPHThank you, friends, for your courtesies;But now the night grows old, and we are weary of wandering.Out of the land of Herod we are fled, and go into Egypt.Mary and Joseph are we, and Jesus, the little Child,Whom these good Shepherds bear with us in his birth-cradle.Now we must needs find shelter for the babe to rest.TREENow welcome, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus, the little Child!Rest you, I pray, with these Shepherds, under my boughs.JOSEPHGentle Tree, you say kindly.SHEPHERD(ToMary, with gladness)Here Herod can never harm Him, Lady dear.TREEWho is Herod, that he would harm a little child?JOSEPHHerod is lord of the world—there, in the land we have fled from.Mighty is he, yet afraid: for out of the eastThree Wise Men followed a star to this poor manger,Telling Herod a little child should inherit his kingdom.Mighty is Herod, yet trembles now on his throne,And wishes this Little One death.SHEPHERDBut shall never find Him!JOSEPHNay, for none in Herod’s kingdom knowsWhere Child and Mother and Manger and guiding StarAre vanished away. Only you, dear folk of the desert,Share now our secret.TREEAnd shall ward it full well.So enter into my shelter, with your good Shepherds,Joseph and Mary and Manger-Child—and rest.(TreeandMarypass behind within shadow. As theShepherdswith theMangerfollow, a sweet, lulling VOICE sings from within.)Carol 4. The Tree-Child’s LullabyTHE VOICEBabe of my love,Lull thee to rest!Bird of my heart,Night is thy nest.Evergreen bough,Shadow my babe!Shelter my bird,Evergreen bough!Star of my dreams,Soon thou wilt shine:Dream of the stars,Splendor be thine!Evergreen bough,Shine with my Star!Shelter his dreams,Evergreen bough!(Joseph, pausing a moment before he follows, speaks to his lantern.)JOSEPHNow lantern, that dost hide His holy light,Show forth on high thy little Master’s star!(He blows out the lantern.Instantly a shining Star appears on the top of the Tree. Staring upward with gestures of surprise, theCreaturesmurmur aloud.)BEASTS, ELF AND GNOMEThe star! The star!(In wonder, while theChorussings, they follow after the others.)Third Chorus: A,3. The StarCHORUSWhere shineth in whiteness the star of the new Master?Alleluia!Lo, from the tree that sheltereth a child’s dreamingShineth His star: Alleluia!

JOSEPH

God save you, Sir Lion!

LION

Save yourself, Sir Man—if you can.

WOLF

Look sharp: there’s more there behind.

BEAR

They carry a trough there. What’s in it?

SHEPHERD

Keep off!—Aim your blows, fellows: strike!

(TheShepherds, with their crooks, drive back theBeasts.Josephintervenes.)

JOSEPH

Stay, good Shepherds! Put away your crooks.Fear nothing, Mary.These wild folk crave our leave to behold the ChildAnd do Him homage.

Stay, good Shepherds! Put away your crooks.

Fear nothing, Mary.

These wild folk crave our leave to behold the Child

And do Him homage.

LION

Man-child!—Yarrr!

JOSEPH

(Pausing before the Evergreen Tree)

Pray you set down the manger. Now, Sir Beasts,And you, Elf Folk, will it please you draw near and look in?

Pray you set down the manger. Now, Sir Beasts,

And you, Elf Folk, will it please you draw near and look in?

(On either side theShepherdsdraw back, revealing at centre theManger, out from which a wonderful glow shines upward, touching the faces of theShepherdsand hushing theBeastswith awe.)

TREE

The light! The light!

Second Chorus: A,2. Light of the World

CHORUS

Where sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?

Alleluia!Lo, as a babe, it sleepeth in a little manger:Light of the World! Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Lo, as a babe, it sleepeth in a little manger:

Light of the World! Alleluia!

The dark is his cradle;The beasts come about him;The stars in their watchesAre covered with cloud.Home hath he none;The desert receives him—The place of outcastsAnd lonely things.

The dark is his cradle;

The beasts come about him;

The stars in their watches

Are covered with cloud.

Home hath he none;

The desert receives him—

The place of outcasts

And lonely things.

No sound is heard thereSave shepherds singing;The lords of earthAvert their faces;Dark—dark is his cradle.

No sound is heard there

Save shepherds singing;

The lords of earth

Avert their faces;

Dark—dark is his cradle.

Yet surely will dawn break with light of his new morrow:

Alleluia!Yea, for the babe that sleepeth in a little mangerIs Light of the World: Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Yea, for the babe that sleepeth in a little manger

Is Light of the World: Alleluia!

(TheFairiesandBeastspeer in theMangerwith awed delight. Murmuring aloud, they speak toJoseph.)

ELF

May we not dance for him?

GNOME

And make gambols?

LION

May I give him my bone? ’Twill make him a rare toy!

BEAR

Ooff!—If he lie in my lap, my fur will warm him.

WOLF

Look-ee! If I wag my tail for him, he will laugh.

JOSEPH

Hush! He is asleep. Please do not wake Him.

(TheBeastsdraw back. Kneeling down withElfandGnome, all Five sing together.)

Carol 3. Luck Song

THE BEASTS AND FAIRIES

While this Light-Child sleeping lies,Word or murmur never wake him!But when he shall open his eyes,Mirth and antics we will make him.Amen!

While this Light-Child sleeping lies,

Word or murmur never wake him!

But when he shall open his eyes,

Mirth and antics we will make him.

Amen!

JOSEPH

Thank you, friends, for your courtesies;But now the night grows old, and we are weary of wandering.Out of the land of Herod we are fled, and go into Egypt.Mary and Joseph are we, and Jesus, the little Child,Whom these good Shepherds bear with us in his birth-cradle.Now we must needs find shelter for the babe to rest.

Thank you, friends, for your courtesies;

But now the night grows old, and we are weary of wandering.

Out of the land of Herod we are fled, and go into Egypt.

Mary and Joseph are we, and Jesus, the little Child,

Whom these good Shepherds bear with us in his birth-cradle.

Now we must needs find shelter for the babe to rest.

TREE

Now welcome, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus, the little Child!Rest you, I pray, with these Shepherds, under my boughs.

Now welcome, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus, the little Child!

Rest you, I pray, with these Shepherds, under my boughs.

JOSEPH

Gentle Tree, you say kindly.

SHEPHERD

(ToMary, with gladness)

Here Herod can never harm Him, Lady dear.

TREE

Who is Herod, that he would harm a little child?

JOSEPH

Herod is lord of the world—there, in the land we have fled from.Mighty is he, yet afraid: for out of the eastThree Wise Men followed a star to this poor manger,Telling Herod a little child should inherit his kingdom.Mighty is Herod, yet trembles now on his throne,And wishes this Little One death.

Herod is lord of the world—there, in the land we have fled from.

Mighty is he, yet afraid: for out of the east

Three Wise Men followed a star to this poor manger,

Telling Herod a little child should inherit his kingdom.

Mighty is Herod, yet trembles now on his throne,

And wishes this Little One death.

SHEPHERD

But shall never find Him!

JOSEPH

Nay, for none in Herod’s kingdom knowsWhere Child and Mother and Manger and guiding StarAre vanished away. Only you, dear folk of the desert,Share now our secret.

Nay, for none in Herod’s kingdom knows

Where Child and Mother and Manger and guiding Star

Are vanished away. Only you, dear folk of the desert,

Share now our secret.

TREE

And shall ward it full well.So enter into my shelter, with your good Shepherds,Joseph and Mary and Manger-Child—and rest.

And shall ward it full well.

So enter into my shelter, with your good Shepherds,

Joseph and Mary and Manger-Child—and rest.

(TreeandMarypass behind within shadow. As theShepherdswith theMangerfollow, a sweet, lulling VOICE sings from within.)

Carol 4. The Tree-Child’s Lullaby

THE VOICE

Babe of my love,Lull thee to rest!Bird of my heart,Night is thy nest.

Babe of my love,

Lull thee to rest!

Bird of my heart,

Night is thy nest.

Evergreen bough,Shadow my babe!Shelter my bird,Evergreen bough!

Evergreen bough,

Shadow my babe!

Shelter my bird,

Evergreen bough!

Star of my dreams,Soon thou wilt shine:Dream of the stars,Splendor be thine!

Star of my dreams,

Soon thou wilt shine:

Dream of the stars,

Splendor be thine!

Evergreen bough,Shine with my Star!Shelter his dreams,Evergreen bough!

Evergreen bough,

Shine with my Star!

Shelter his dreams,

Evergreen bough!

(Joseph, pausing a moment before he follows, speaks to his lantern.)

JOSEPH

Now lantern, that dost hide His holy light,Show forth on high thy little Master’s star!

Now lantern, that dost hide His holy light,

Show forth on high thy little Master’s star!

(He blows out the lantern.

Instantly a shining Star appears on the top of the Tree. Staring upward with gestures of surprise, theCreaturesmurmur aloud.)

BEASTS, ELF AND GNOME

The star! The star!

(In wonder, while theChorussings, they follow after the others.)

Third Chorus: A,3. The Star

CHORUS

Where shineth in whiteness the star of the new Master?Alleluia!Lo, from the tree that sheltereth a child’s dreamingShineth His star: Alleluia!

Where shineth in whiteness the star of the new Master?

Alleluia!

Lo, from the tree that sheltereth a child’s dreaming

Shineth His star: Alleluia!

The Light-ChildCHORUSWhere sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?Alleluia!Lo, as a babe it sleepeth in a little manger:Light of the World! Alleluia!

The Light-Child

CHORUSWhere sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?Alleluia!Lo, as a babe it sleepeth in a little manger:Light of the World! Alleluia!

CHORUS

Where sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?Alleluia!Lo, as a babe it sleepeth in a little manger:Light of the World! Alleluia!

Where sleepeth till dawn-break the light of the new morrow?

Alleluia!

Lo, as a babe it sleepeth in a little manger:

Light of the World! Alleluia!

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