SIXTH ACTION(The Befriending)
STAGE A
Now, from the Place of Outcasts,Choral Voicessing, while once more JOSEPH, MARY andShepherdsbearing theMangerappear, coming forth from the shelter of the Evergreen. With them TREE also appears.
Seventh Chorus: A,5. Glory and SerenityCHORUSGlory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Bless to-night this holy treeAnd our candle fire.Tree of our hearts, behold!How the dreams of a child in your boughs unfoldAnd the weary of earth put off their painWhere the Child of our love has lain.JOSEPHShepherd, the morrow’s light will soon beginTo wake the desert world. Here we have lainThis night in quiet refuge; yet through sleepI heard far off the host of Herod rageAgainst this Child His kingdom. So once moreLet us go forth our way, till He is safeBeyond the war-lord’s might.SHEPHERDYea, let us go,Yet not till we have thanked this gentle Tree.JOSEPHDear Tree, you have befriended in his needThis little Child new-born. So—for His sake—Your gracious boughs shall evermore be green,Nor ever in winter lose their April sap,But freshly, at this season of His birth,They shall be fragrant of the hallowed dreamsHis happy heart bequeathes you.TREEHe was welcome,And I will deck my boughs with infant joysIn his remembrance.SHEPHERDSo we say—God keep you!And not ‘Goodbye’!JOSEPH(ToTree)Nay, still another tokenWe leave with you: His star—to be henceforthA morning star of song for other childrenWho rest from Herod’s wrath. So you shall beNo more a forest sprite, but a hallow’d angel—His shining angel with a sheathèd swordTo guard all childhood’s home. Keep here his star:Farewell!TREEO fare you well, dear wanderers,That have fulfilled with love my lonely dream!(With lighted candles, in processional, theShepherdswithManger,MaryandJosephdepart toward the desert. While theChorussings,Treestands gazing after them.)Eighth Chorus: A,6. Glory and SerenityCHORUSGlory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Blend the song of men set freeWith their children’s choir.Child of our hearts, behold!How the dark is strewn with your fairy goldAnd the bitter of soul lay-by their spleenWhere the Tree of our love grows green.(Treegoes within.)
Seventh Chorus: A,5. Glory and SerenityCHORUSGlory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Bless to-night this holy treeAnd our candle fire.Tree of our hearts, behold!How the dreams of a child in your boughs unfoldAnd the weary of earth put off their painWhere the Child of our love has lain.JOSEPHShepherd, the morrow’s light will soon beginTo wake the desert world. Here we have lainThis night in quiet refuge; yet through sleepI heard far off the host of Herod rageAgainst this Child His kingdom. So once moreLet us go forth our way, till He is safeBeyond the war-lord’s might.SHEPHERDYea, let us go,Yet not till we have thanked this gentle Tree.JOSEPHDear Tree, you have befriended in his needThis little Child new-born. So—for His sake—Your gracious boughs shall evermore be green,Nor ever in winter lose their April sap,But freshly, at this season of His birth,They shall be fragrant of the hallowed dreamsHis happy heart bequeathes you.TREEHe was welcome,And I will deck my boughs with infant joysIn his remembrance.SHEPHERDSo we say—God keep you!And not ‘Goodbye’!JOSEPH(ToTree)Nay, still another tokenWe leave with you: His star—to be henceforthA morning star of song for other childrenWho rest from Herod’s wrath. So you shall beNo more a forest sprite, but a hallow’d angel—His shining angel with a sheathèd swordTo guard all childhood’s home. Keep here his star:Farewell!TREEO fare you well, dear wanderers,That have fulfilled with love my lonely dream!(With lighted candles, in processional, theShepherdswithManger,MaryandJosephdepart toward the desert. While theChorussings,Treestands gazing after them.)Eighth Chorus: A,6. Glory and SerenityCHORUSGlory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Blend the song of men set freeWith their children’s choir.Child of our hearts, behold!How the dark is strewn with your fairy goldAnd the bitter of soul lay-by their spleenWhere the Tree of our love grows green.(Treegoes within.)
Seventh Chorus: A,5. Glory and Serenity
CHORUS
CHORUS
Glory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Bless to-night this holy treeAnd our candle fire.Tree of our hearts, behold!How the dreams of a child in your boughs unfoldAnd the weary of earth put off their painWhere the Child of our love has lain.
Glory and serenity,
Beauty of desire,
Bless to-night this holy tree
And our candle fire.
Tree of our hearts, behold!
How the dreams of a child in your boughs unfold
And the weary of earth put off their pain
Where the Child of our love has lain.
JOSEPH
JOSEPH
Shepherd, the morrow’s light will soon beginTo wake the desert world. Here we have lainThis night in quiet refuge; yet through sleepI heard far off the host of Herod rageAgainst this Child His kingdom. So once moreLet us go forth our way, till He is safeBeyond the war-lord’s might.
Shepherd, the morrow’s light will soon begin
To wake the desert world. Here we have lain
This night in quiet refuge; yet through sleep
I heard far off the host of Herod rage
Against this Child His kingdom. So once more
Let us go forth our way, till He is safe
Beyond the war-lord’s might.
SHEPHERD
SHEPHERD
Yea, let us go,Yet not till we have thanked this gentle Tree.
Yea, let us go,
Yet not till we have thanked this gentle Tree.
JOSEPH
JOSEPH
Dear Tree, you have befriended in his needThis little Child new-born. So—for His sake—Your gracious boughs shall evermore be green,Nor ever in winter lose their April sap,But freshly, at this season of His birth,They shall be fragrant of the hallowed dreamsHis happy heart bequeathes you.
Dear Tree, you have befriended in his need
This little Child new-born. So—for His sake—
Your gracious boughs shall evermore be green,
Nor ever in winter lose their April sap,
But freshly, at this season of His birth,
They shall be fragrant of the hallowed dreams
His happy heart bequeathes you.
TREE
TREE
He was welcome,And I will deck my boughs with infant joysIn his remembrance.
He was welcome,
And I will deck my boughs with infant joys
In his remembrance.
SHEPHERD
SHEPHERD
So we say—God keep you!And not ‘Goodbye’!
So we say—God keep you!
And not ‘Goodbye’!
JOSEPH
JOSEPH
(ToTree)
(ToTree)
Nay, still another tokenWe leave with you: His star—to be henceforthA morning star of song for other childrenWho rest from Herod’s wrath. So you shall beNo more a forest sprite, but a hallow’d angel—His shining angel with a sheathèd swordTo guard all childhood’s home. Keep here his star:Farewell!
Nay, still another token
We leave with you: His star—to be henceforth
A morning star of song for other children
Who rest from Herod’s wrath. So you shall be
No more a forest sprite, but a hallow’d angel—
His shining angel with a sheathèd sword
To guard all childhood’s home. Keep here his star:
Farewell!
TREE
TREE
O fare you well, dear wanderers,That have fulfilled with love my lonely dream!
O fare you well, dear wanderers,
That have fulfilled with love my lonely dream!
(With lighted candles, in processional, theShepherdswithManger,MaryandJosephdepart toward the desert. While theChorussings,Treestands gazing after them.)
Eighth Chorus: A,6. Glory and Serenity
CHORUS
CHORUS
Glory and serenity,Beauty of desire,Blend the song of men set freeWith their children’s choir.Child of our hearts, behold!How the dark is strewn with your fairy goldAnd the bitter of soul lay-by their spleenWhere the Tree of our love grows green.
Glory and serenity,
Beauty of desire,
Blend the song of men set free
With their children’s choir.
Child of our hearts, behold!
How the dark is strewn with your fairy gold
And the bitter of soul lay-by their spleen
Where the Tree of our love grows green.
(Treegoes within.)
(Treegoes within.)