Hymn for January: Love Unknown

The Hymn this week is called Love Unknown. It was written by Samuel Crossman in 1664.  Here are the lyrics:

My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed for Christ would know:
But O! my friend, my friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then Crucify! is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of Life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

Folksong for January: Keys to Canturbury

The Folksong this week is the Keys to Canturbury.  We do not know when it was written and who it was by.  Here are the lyrics: 


O Madam, I will give to you
The keys of Canterbury,
And all the bells in Londontown
Will ring and make you merry.
If you will be my one, my sweet and only dear,
And you walk with me, anywhere.

O Sir, I won’t accept of you
The keys to Canterbury,
Nor all the bells in Londontown,
Will ring and make me merry.
I won’t be your one, your sweet and only dear,
And I’ll not walk with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give to you
A pair of shoes of cork,
The one was made in London,
And the other made in York,
If you’ll be my one, my sweet and only dear,
And you walk with me, anywhere.

O Sir, I won’t accept of you
Your pair of shoes of cork,
Though one was made in London,
And the other made in York.
And I’ll not be your one, your sweet and only dear,
And I’ll not walk with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give to you
A silken flowing gown,
With nine yards a-droping
And trailing on the ground,
If you will be my one, my sweet and only dear,
And you walk with me, anywhere.

O Sir, I won’t accept of you
A silken flowing gown,
With nine yards a-droping
And training on the ground,

I won’t be your one, your sweet and only dear,
And I’ll not walk with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give to you

The keys to me heart

And you will lock it up

and never more we’ll part.

And you will be my one, my sweet and only dear,
And you’ll walk with me, everywhere.

O Sir, I will accept of you

The keys to your heart

And I will lock it up, me love

And swear we’ll never part

And I’ll be your one, your sweet and only dear,
And I’ll walk with you, everywhere.