The seven joys of Mary (Robert Lucas Pearsall)

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• (Posted 2023-12-11)  CPDL #78063: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2023-12-11).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 97 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: The seven joys of Mary
Composer: Robert Lucas Pearsall
Lyricist: Anonymous
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Carol

Language: English
Instruments: Unknown

First published:
Description: The tune and harmonization, without text, appear in Pearsall's manuscripts under the title "The first good joy our Mary had - Gloucestershire Xmas carol". The text has been imported editorially from a contemporaneous broadsheet. It is not clear whether the title refers to the text only, or to both text and tune. The tune may be a pastiche by Pearsall in "West Gallery" style, but it may equally well be a carol retrieved from a local (?Willsbridge) informant; it is unlike other known tunes associated with this text.
In common with many items retrieved from the oral tradition (with many of their eighteenth century templates), the popular title is not exclusively the first line, but derives from the subject matter, or from a salient line within the song. The usual title for versions of this text has been accorded here; the temptation has been resisted to use "The joy of six" as a populist ycleption. Traditionally, the text is ascribed to Christmas use, although the subject matter does not render it exclusively so.

Original text and translations

English text

The first good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of one,
To see her own son Jesus to suck at her breast-bone,
To suck at her breast-bone, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of two,
To see her own son Jesus to make the lame to go,
To make the lame to go, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of three,
When that her own son Jesus did make the blind to see,
Did make the blind to see, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of four,
To see her own son Jesus read the scriptures o'er,
Read the scriptures o'er, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of five,
To see her own son Jesus raise the dead to life,
Raise the dead to life, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of six,
To see her own son Jesus bear the crucifix,
Bear the crucifix, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.

The next good joy that Mary had, it was the joy of sev'n,
To see her own son Jesus wear the crown of heav'n,
Wear the crown of heav'n, good man,
And blessed may he be;
Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost to all eternity.