| Benjamin Britten
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| Miscellaneous
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| This Little Babe
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| This little bab so few days old
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| Is come to rifle Satan’s fold;
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| All hell doth at his presence quake
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| Though he himself for cold do shake;
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| For in this week unarmed wise
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| The gates of hell he will surprise
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| With tears he fights and wins the field
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| His naked breast stads for a shield
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| His battering shot are babish cries
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| His arrows looks of weeping eyes
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| His martial ensigns Cold and Need
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| And feeble flesh his warrior’s steed
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| His camp is pitched in a stall
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| His bulwark but a broken wall;
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| The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes
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| Of shepherds he his muster makes
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| And thus as sure his foe to wound
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| The angels' trumps a larum sound
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| My soul with Christ
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| Join thou in fight;
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| Stick to the tents
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| That he hath pight
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| Within his crib
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| Is surest ward;
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| This little Babe
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| Will by thy guard
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| If thou wilt foil thy
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| Foes with joy, then
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| Flit not from this
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| Heavenly boy! |