Her Baby, Newly Breathing

Music by Ron Klusmeier
Words by Brian Wren
Tune Name: BOW ISLAND

Lyrics as Poetry

Her baby, newly breathing,
with wailing needful cry,
by Mary kissed and cradled,
is lulled in lullaby.
Long months of hope and waiting,
the thrill and fear of birth,
are crowned with exultation,
and God is on the earth.The eyes that gaze at Mary
have yet to name or trace
the world of shape and colour,
or recognize a face;
yet Holiness Eternal
is perfectly expressed
in hands that clutch unthinking,
and lips that tug the breast.The milk of life is flowing
as Mary guides and feeds
her wordless Word embodied
in infant joys and needs.
Enormous, formless strivings,
and yearnings deep and wide,
becradled in communion,
are fed and satisfied.How motherlike the Wisdom
that carried and gave birth
to all things, seen and unseen,
and nurtured infant earth:
unstinting, unprotected,
prepared for nail and thorn,
constricted into maleness,
and of a woman born.

Words by
Brian WrenCopyright © 1989 by Hope Publishing Company
(Carol Stream, Illinois) for USA,
Canada, Australia and New Zealand.Copyright © 1989 by Stainer & Bell Limited
(London, England) for all other territories

Comments About Song

BRIAN WREN
from his book “Piece Together Praise” (p 20):

“The poem grew by listening to women’s experience of pregnancy, birthing and nursing.
The women with whom I conversed often said, ‘No, it’s not like that’, or ‘That’s a male viewpoint. It was like this…,’ and I had to try again. I reworked the final stanza several times, till the opening lines came suddenly, like a surprise gift which exactly meets a need.“

Piece Together Praise
(A Theological Journey)
 is co-published by:Hope Publishing Company
Carol Stream, IL USA
(for USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand)Stainer & Bell, Limited
London, England
(for all other countries)


Audio Sample for
”Her Baby, Newly Breathing”

Verses 1 & 5 played on piano

Scripture Reference

  • John 1:14

Season, Theme
or Subject

  • Birth, Birthing
  • Christmas
  • Christmas Eve
  • Jesus∶ birth
  • Life∶ new life
  • Mary (mother of Jesus)

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