I hope all of my American followers had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know some people get annoyed when Christmas seems to overshadow Thanksgiving, but for me there’s no better kick off to the Christmas season than giving thanks.
What Child is This? has been my favorite Christmas carol for as long as I can remember. I have always loved its minor keys and haunting melody.
At it’s heart, I love the question and answer of this song. What child is announced by angels? Christ the King!
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:30-34 KJV
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?
Chorus:
This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Rose Fairbanks 
Isn’t the melody taken from Greensleeves?
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Yes it is!
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I do enjoy this song also…just wondering if you knew where the melody came from. I have some “Classical Music for Reading” which I listen to while reading (UTube) and this melody is one of the songs. I sing along with the words “What child is This?”
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I was doing some more research on Christmas carols this week and decided to look up this history of this song. Wikipedia says this: At the time he was writing the lyrics to “What Child Is This?” in 1865, William Chatterton Dix was working as the manager of an insurance company.[4] He was afflicted by an unexpected and severe illness that resulted in him being bedridden and suffering from severe depression. His near-death experience brought about a spiritual renewal in him while he was recovering. During this time, he read the Bible comprehensively and was inspired to author hymns like “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!” and “As with Gladness Men of Old”
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Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
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