Thine advent here II

The Lamb   

   Little Lamb, who made thee?

   Dost thou know who made thee;

Gave thee life and bid thee feed

By the stream and o'er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, woolly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice

Making all the vales rejoice?

   Little Lamb, who made thee?

   Dost thou know who made thee?

   Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

   Little Lamb, I'll tell thee;

He is called by thy name,

For He calls Himself a lamb.

He is meek and He is mild,

He became a little child.

I a child and thou a lamb,

We are called by his name.

   Little Lamb, God bless thee.

   Little Lamb, God bless thee.

William Blake

[John Rutter also includes this poem beautifully into the agnus dei movement of his Mass of the Children, which I have posted here (you can listen to the whole song or drag the slider to about the middle and get to the part I where he incorporates the poem).]

"We are called by His name."  That is the essence of the incarnation, isn't it, that he could identify with us in every way, that he could share in our humanness, and we could claim His perfect lambness.  Christ's work, I am reminded, did not start on Calvary, but more on that in a future poem.