Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

My Dad and Mom enjoyed roses. Dad became quite involved, learning and always trying out new methods of growing and became the family expert with his various rose gardens, working hard to keep them blooming. And Mother got the greatest joy going to visit folks who needed her cheery smile, carrying a small bouquet or even just one of Dad's prize roses. It was a rare treat to have a rose bush keep blooming until Thanksgiving and I can remember no time that we had fresh roses on the Christmas table. Certainly , no "Flower bright, amid the cold of winter, when half-spent was the night."

The German composer, Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) set this piece to music sometime around 1605. The words had been written earlier in the 15 century and there is no definite author given. It was not translated from the German to English until the late 1800's.

The title comes from the Song of Songs 2:1, "I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys." Early on The Rose was assigned to Jesus Christ and the Rose became another name for our Lord. Often, it is used in conjunction with the well known passage from Isaiah 11:1-2: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him -- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord--".

As with the Christmas hymn "In the Bleak Midwinter", the tune is simple and matches the simplicity of the words. The image of the rose and the branch prophecy of the lineage of King David, in the first verse, are woven easily together:

"Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from Tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming as men of old have sung.
It came, a Flower bright, Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night."

The phrase "When half-spent was the night" is repeated at the end of verse 2. Was the author referring to the actual event or is this a more theological point -- that the night is still with us and we are waiting for the Day of the Lord? This Rose bloomed and the fragrance has sweetened the whole world but Christians all await the beauty and overpowering presence of that morning when, at His 2nd coming, Christ will be revealed as the Ruler of all, for all times.

"This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God, From sin and death He saves us
And lightens every load." verse 3.

Those of us who live in the part of the country where we can enjoy roses all year long, have the privilege of being reminded of this lesson of the Rose. As we come up the walk approaching our home, our rose bush, Don Juan, is a colorful and beautiful reminder of this beautiful Christmas hymn.

The verses and tune can be heard here: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/h/lhowrose.htm