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NEW ZEALAND FOLK*SONG |
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The Southern Cross looks down
by Rev. Mother Francis Tobin, Sisters of Loreto, Australia c. 1890 - 1910
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C 1. O little Babe of Bethlehem! G7 The Southern Cross shines down, C F C G7 As once a star shone glorious, C G7 C Above an eastern town. 2. The hearts of Bethlehem are cold, The streets are hushed with snow, The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where will You go? 3. O come, sweet Jesus, come to us! New Zealand’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough, To shield You from the storm. 4. Come! We will give You all we have, Each bird and flower and tree; The breeze that stirs the silver ferns, The music of the sea. 5. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal From gullies green and deep And mingle with the tui’s note To call You from Your sleep 6. O little Babe of Bethlehem, New Zealand loves You well, Come to our hearts this Christmastime, And there forever dwell. |
It was sung in her Miramar church in the 1970s.
A much-changed 2003 NZ variant
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1. O little town of Bethlehem, the Southern Cross looks down, As once a star shone bright and clear above an Eastern town,
The hearts of Bethlehem are cold,
the streets are hushed with snow, The doors are locked, there is no room, dear Lord, where will you go? 2. Oh come sweet Jesus, come to us, New Zealand's shores are warm, And here are loving hearts enough To shield you from the storm.
Come! We will give you all we have,
Each bird and flower and tree The breeze that stirs the mountain tops The music of the sea. |
Australia 2006
| O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down As once a star shone glorious above an eastern town. O come sweet Jesus come to us! Australia's sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough to shield Thee from the storm And sweet clematis starry-eyed with delicate ferns we'll bring, Our wattle trees shall shower their gold in tribute to our King. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal from gullies green and deep, And mingle with the magpies note to call Thee from Thy sleep. O little Babe of Bethlehem Australia loves thee well, Come to our hearts this Christmastide and there forever dwell. |
Australia 1945
Published in The Burnie Advocate, Tasmania, 24 Dec, 1945| O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down, As once a star shone glorious, Above an eastern town. The hearts of Bethlehem are cold, The streets are hushed with snow, The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where will You go? O come, sweet Jesus, come to us! Australia’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough, To shield Thee from the storm. |
The original Australian composition, 1890s?
by Rev. Mother Francis Tobin, Sisters of Loreto| 1. O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down As once a star shone glorious Above an eastern town. The hearts of Bethlehem are cold The streets are hushed with snow The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where wilt Thou go? 2. O come sweet Jesus come to us! Australia’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough To shield Thee from the storm Come! We will give Thee all we have Each bird and flower and tree The breeze that stirs the silver gums The music of the sea. 3. And sweet wild clematis starry-eyed With delicate ferns we’ll bring: Our wattle trees shall shower their gold In tribute to our King We’ll watch when evening sounds begin And dreaming flowers nod Thy Mother fold Thee in her arms Dear little Lamb of God 4. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal From gullies green and deep And mingle with the magpies' note To call Thee from Thy sleep. O little Babe of Bethlehem Australia loves Thee well Come to our hearts this Christmas-tide And there forever dwell. |
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Rev Mother Francis TobinElizabeth Tobin was born in 1860 and spent her childhood in Auburn Villa, Ararat, 120 km west of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.15-year old 'Lizzie' Tobin was one of the first students at Mary's Mount, Ballarat, (later Loreto College), in Sept 1875. At the age of 19, she became a postulant in the Loreto order, and made her vows in 1881. Mary
Ryllis Clark, Loreto
in Australia, pp 58-9
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Tune:
This uses Lewis Redner's tune of an old
carol by Phillips Brooke.
O
little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hope and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hope and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
And I think the present tune has been
altered a bit
too.
If you can send me information on the tune,
I would appreciate it.
Main song List - Home
Published 15 October 2003, Other versions added December 2020
| Rev Mother Francis |
Tasmania 1945 |
Sydney 2006 | Wellington 1970s |
NZ 2003 |
| 1. O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down As once a star shone glorious Above an eastern town. The hearts of Bethlehem are
cold
The streets are hushed with snow The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where wilt Thou go? 2. O come sweet Jesus come to us! Australia’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough To shield Thee from the storm Come! We will give Thee all
we have
Each bird and flower and tree The breeze that stirs the silver gums The music of the sea. 3. And sweet wild clematis starry-eyed With delicate ferns we’ll bring: Our wattle trees shall shower their gold In tribute to our King We’ll watch when evening
sounds begin
And dreaming flowers nod Thy Mother fold Thee in her arms Dear little Lamb of God 4. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal From gullies green and deep And mingle with the magpies' note To call Thee from Thy sleep. O little Babe of Bethlehem
Australia loves Thee well Come to our hearts this Christmas-tide And there forever dwell. |
O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down, As once a star shone glorious, Above an eastern town. The hearts of Bethlehem are cold, The streets are hushed with snow, The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where will You go? O come, sweet Jesus, come to us! Australia’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough, To shield Thee from the storm. |
O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down As once a star shone glorious above an eastern town. O come sweet Jesus come to us! Australia's sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough to shield Thee from the storm And sweet clematis starry-eyed with delicate ferns we'll bring, Our wattle trees shall shower their gold in tribute to our King. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal from gullies green and deep, And mingle with the magpies' note to call Thee from Thy sleep. O little Babe of Bethlehem Australia loves thee well, Come to our hearts this Christmastide and there forever dwell. |
O little Babe of Bethlehem! The Southern Cross shines down, As once a star shone glorious, Above an eastern town. The hearts of Bethlehem are cold, The streets are hushed with snow, The doors are barred, there is no room Dear Lord, where will You go? O come, sweet Jesus, come to us! New Zealand’s sun is warm, And here are loving hearts enough, To shield You from the storm. Come! We will give You all we have, Each bird and flower and tree; The breeze that stirs the silver ferns, The music of the sea. Bell-birds shall ring their silver peal From gullies green and deep And mingle with the tui’s note To call You from Your sleep O little Babe of Bethlehem, New Zealand loves You well, Come to our hearts this Christmastime, And there forever dwell. |
O little town of Bethlehem, the Southern Cross looks down, As once a star shone bright and clear above an Eastern town, The hearts of Bethlehem are cold, the streets are hushed with snow, The doors are locked, there is no room, Dear Lord, where will You go? Oh come sweet Jesus, come to us, New Zealand's shores are warm, And here are loving hearts enough To shield you from the storm. Come! We will give you all we have, Each bird and flower and tree The breeze that stirs the mountain tops The music of the sea. |
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Published 15 October 2003, Other versions added December 2020