ADD:Come Softly, Tread Gently-Come Little Children

Subject: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 06:21 PM

I'd like to have the lyrics to a Christmas song entitled Walk Softly, Tread Gently, if anyone one out there happens to have them.   It is possible that the song was in an old Methodist Hymnal.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: khandu
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 06:42 PM

Do you know any of the lyrics? That may help in a search.

khandu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 07:12 PM

No, I have the song on a video from 15 years ago SOMEWHERE, but can't remember any of them. I want them for the person that I heard it from who doesn't remember the words either.

I tried Google and Copernic searches and came up empty, with a number of unrelated references if I cut it to Tread Gently. I was just in hopes that someone here would say, "Oh sure, I know THAT one ~~ here they are!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From:
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 07:13 PM

What movie? That might trigger a memory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 07:24 PM

It wasn't a movie, George, it was a Musical Christmas Show produced by Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN). I guess I am going to have to attack my stack of boxes of video tapes in the hopes of finding it. I am much better at taping than I am at labeling and organizing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From:
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 07:45 PM

Same here! 8-))

Subject: Lyr Add: COME SOFTLY, TREAD GENTLY
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 09:21 PM

I finally located it on a really bad dub, not my original. I think I got it all. Proper title is Come Softly, Tread Gently. I have no idea as to authorship.

COME SOFTLY, TREAD GENTLY

Come softly, tread gently to see what is there
It's Mary the Mother with light in her hair
And in that dark stable His bed in a stall
Lies Jesus the Baby so sweet and so small

He's born in a stable for you and for me
Draw near to the bright glowing starlight to see
In swaddling clothes lying so meek and so mild
And purer than angels this heavenly Child

See Mary and Joseph with love gleaming eyes
Are gazing upon the crude bed where he lies
The shepherds have gathered, their hearts full of love
While angels sing loud alleluias above

Come softly, tread gently to see what is there
It's Mary the Mother with lights in her hair
And in that dark stable His bed in a stall
Lies Jesus our Saviour, the King of us all
It's Jesus our Saviour, the King of us all

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From:
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 09:46 PM

Looks lovely, Dale. Glad you were able to find it quickly.

Subject: Lyr Add:; IHR KINDERLEIN, KOMMET
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 11:34 PM

Well, I find that the trail leads to O COME, LITTLE CHILDREN, which in turn comes from IHR KINDERLEIN, KOMMET. I haven't nearly enough time to get into all that right now, so I will leave it for others to work out if they choose to do so. There seems to be four or more versions of O Come, Little Children. I located a couple of midis. The midi of O Come, Little Children on this page is quite like the version I know, though more stately and formal. The other one was less like it. The link at the bottom of the page takes you to these lyrics.

IHR KINDERLEIN, KOMMET
Lyrics by Christoph v. Schmid
Music by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz

Ihr Kinderlein, kommet,
O kommet doch all!
Zur Krippe her kommet
In Bethlehems Stall.
Und seht was in dieser
Hochheiligen Nacht
Der Vater im Himmel
Für Freude uns macht.

O seht in der Krippe
Im nächlichen Stall,
Seht hier bei des Lichtes
Hellglänzendem Strahl,
In reinliche Windeln
Das himmlische Kind,
Viel schöner und holder,
Als Engelein sind.

Da liegt es, ihr Kinder,
Auf Heu und auf Stroh,
Maria und Josef
Btrachten es froh;
Die redlichen Hirten
Knien betend davor,
Hoch oben schwebt jubelnd
Der Engelein Chor.

O beugt, wie die Hirten,
Anbetend die Knie,
Erhebet die Händchen
Und betet wie sie!
Stimmt freudig, ihr Kinder -
Wer soll sich nicht freun? -
Stimmt freudig zum Jubel
Der Engelein ein!

Was geben wir Kinder,
Was schenken wir dir,
Du bestes und liebstes
Der Kinder, dafür?
Nichts willst du von Schätzen
Und Reichtum der Welt,
Ein Herz nur voll Demut
Allein dir gefällt.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: masato sakurai
Date: 01 Dec 02 - 01:49 AM

The German original with score (pdf) is HERE (Ihr Kinderlein Kommet).

There're several translations of "Ihr Kinderlein Kommet":

(1) COME HITHER, YE CHILDREN (from The Cyber Hymnal, with midi)
Words: Anonymous, in the Sunday School Hymnal, English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1912).
Music: "Ihr Kinderlein Kommet," unknown composer

(2) Four versions of "O Come, Little Children":

a. Version 1

b. Version 2

c. Version 3

d. Version 4

(3) "O Come All You Children":
In Carols for Today: Jubilate Hymns (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986, 1987, nos. 104 & 105).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walk Softly, Tread Gently
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 01:05 AM

Thank You, Masato, for all the information, good work as usual.

I had occasion to search this information out again this Christmas season and thought I would post to the thread in case anyone else might be interested in this great but lesser known Christmas Carol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Softly, Tread Gently
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 18 - 01:00 PM

COME SOFTLY, TREAD GENTLY

Come softly, tread gently to see what is there
It's Mary the Mother with light in her hair
And in that dark stable His bed in a stall
Lies Jesus the Baby so sweet and so small

He's born in a stable for you and for me
Draw near to the bright glowing starlight to see
In swaddling clothes lying so meek and so mild
And purer than angels this heavenly Child

See Mary and Joseph with love gleaming eyes
Are gazing upon the crude bed where he lies
The shepherds have gathered, their hearts full of love
While angels sing loud alleluias above

Come softly, tread gently to see what is there
It's Mary the Mother with lights in her hair
And in that dark stable His bed in a stall
Lies Jesus our Saviour, the King of us all
It's Jesus our Saviour, the King of us all

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Softly, Tread Gently
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Dec 18 - 06:47 PM

Here's the MIDI from Leeneia:

---

Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Softly, Tread Gently
From: leeneia
Date: 22 Dec 18 - 11:06 PM

Hm! Before I sent that MIDI to Joe, I tried to post a note here that I was writing a melody for these nice words. I folk-processed the lyrics a bit to make them more pleasant to my ear.

If any established musical mudcatters want a JPG, PM me.