Words & Music: Re­nais­sance car­ol. It is named af­ter the ci­ty of Cov­ent­ry, Eng­land, where the 15th Cent­ury Pag­eant of the Shear­men and Tail­ors de­pict­ed Herod’s slaugh­ter of the in­no­cents, told in the lyr­ics.


Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.