Lyrics
Verse 1
What child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap, is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Verse 2
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own Him,
The King of kings, salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"What Child Is This?" retells the nativity through a question rather than a direct statement, asking who the sleeping child on Mary's lap could be before answering its own question within the same verse. That structure, question followed by declaration, mirrors the shepherds' own encounter with angelic announcement, treating wonder as the appropriate first response to Christ's birth.
The second verse shifts from the manger scene to the arrival of gifts, naming incense, gold, and myrrh as offerings brought by visitors of every social rank, king and peasant alike. That detail widens the song's scope beyond a private family scene, presenting Christ's birth as an event demanding response from all people regardless of status.
Set to the traditional melody of "Greensleeves," the carol's closing lines resolve its opening question fully, declaring the child Christ the King and calling for enthroned devotion rather than passing curiosity. Rooted in classic Christmas hymnody, the song functions as a sung meditation on the identity of the child in the manger, moving from question to worship within its own structure.
Related Scripture
- Luke 2:11-12 Announces the birth of Christ the Lord lying in a manger, echoed in the carol's opening question and answer about the sleeping child.
- Matthew 2:11 Describes the wise men presenting gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the child, directly echoed in the carol's second verse.