The Friendly Beasts

Ok ... I figured to start our sharing hymn, we would start with a Christmas song... so here we go..."The Friendly Beasts" is a traditional Christmas song about the gifts that a donkey, a cow, a sheep, and a dove gave to Jesus at the Nativity.Lyrics -1. Jesus our brother, kind and goodWas humbly born in a stable rudeAnd the friendly beasts around Him stood,Jesus our brother, kind and good.2. "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,"I carried His mother up hill and down;I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.""I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.3. "I," said the cow all white and red"I gave Him my manger for His bed;I gave him my hay to pillow his head.""I," said the cow all white and red.4. "I," said the sheep with curly horn,"I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;He wore my coat on Christmas morn.""I," said the sheep with curly horn.5. "I," said the dove from the rafters high,"I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry;We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I.""I," said the dove from the rafters high.6. Thus every beast by some good spell,In the stable dark was glad to tellOf the gift he gave Immanuel,The gift he gave Immanuel.7. "I," was glad to tellOf the gift he gave Immanuel,The gift he gave Immanuel.Jesus our brother, kind and good.This song originally hails from a 12th century Latin song "Orientis Partibus" which first appeared in France and is usually attributed to Pierre de Corbeil, Bishop of Sens The tune is said to have been part of the Fete de lAne (The Donkeys Festival), which celebrated the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and was a regular Christmas observance in Beauvais and Sens, France in the 13th century. During the mass, it was common for a donkey to be led or ridden into the church. The words and tune were designed to give thanks for the ass on which Mary rode, and began: Orientis partibus Adventavit asinus (From the East the ass has come). Each verse was sung, and finished with the chorus Hail, Sir donkey, hail. It was a solemn affair, but the tune became very popular in 17th and 18th century Germany.The song emigrated to England in the 12th century, where it began to take on its modern character. It is for this reason that some sources will give the origin of this song as England.Robert Davis (1881-1950) apparently wrote the words that we normally associate with this tune in the 1920s. The first publication was in 1934, but the song is probably older. Unfortunately, almost nothing of known of Mr. Davis.It is also known as "The Song of the Ass," The Donkey Carol," "The Animal Carol" and "The Gift of the Animals."Attached are 3 files -1 - Tab for Friendly Beasts - Key of D2 - Tab for Friendly Beasts - Key of G3 - A recording I made of the song a couple years ago here of the song I like...

 I hope you enjoy this song as I do, this was my Grandpas favorite Christmas song.... enjoy this song...