'Jesus autem hodie'

Baptism of Christ, BL Arundel 157, f. 5v (England, 13th century)

As you will know if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, there is a medieval carol for every occasion - and this one is about the Baptism of Christ.

Jesus autem hodie
Regressus est a Jordane.
Jesus autem hodie
Regressus est a Jordane.

When Jesus Christ baptised was,
The Holy Ghost descended with grace;
The Father's voice was heard in that place:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

There were three Persons and one Lord,
The Son baptised with one accord;
The Father said these blessed words:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

Consider now, all Christianity,
How the Father said because of thee
The great mystery of the Trinity:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

Now, Jesu, as thou art both God and man,
And were baptised in River Jordan,
At our last end, we pray thee, say then:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

This carol survives in two manuscripts, one of them the Ritson MS (British Library Additional 5665), a manuscript of English and Latin carols, songs and motets which was compiled between c.1475-1510 at a religious house somewhere in Devon. In the manuscript the carol is set to music for two and three voices, and bears the names of its composers, John Trouluffe and Richard Smert.  It's interesting that the first verse bears a resemblance to the baptism verse in the carol 'Tomorrow shall be my dancing day', where it is told in the first-person voice of Christ:

Then afterwards baptized I was;
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard from above,
To call my true love to my dance.

The rhyme-scheme and the final-line refrain are different, of course, but there may be a distant relationship between the two songs - since the first and third lines don't rhyme as they do in the other verses of 'Tomorrow shall be my dancing day', I wonder whether that carol has substituted 'heard from above' for 'heard in that place'...

'Jesus autem hodie' has been set by two modern composers; this is by Peter Maxwell Davies:



And this by Peter Hallock:



The Middle English text, from Richard Greene, The Early English Carols (Oxford, 1977), pp.79-80:

Jhesus autem hodie
Regressus est a Jordane.
Jhesus autem hodie
Regressus est a Jordane.

When Jhesus Criste baptyzed was,
The Holy Gost descended with grace;
The Fadyr voys was herde in the place:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

There were thre persons and o Lorde,
The Sone baptized with on acorde,
The Fader sayde this blessed worde:
‘Hic est Filius meus; [ipsum audite.’]

Considere now, all Cristiante,
How the Fader sayde bycause of the
The grete mistery of the Trinite:
‘Hic est Filius meus; [ipsum audite.’]

Now, Jhesu, as thou art bothe God and man,
And were baptized in flom Jordayn,
Atte oure last ende, we pray the, say than:
‘Hic est Filius meus; [ipsum audite.’]