The text of this carol is the third sonnet of a larger work by John Donne (1572-1631), La Corona (1610), a meditation on the life and ministry of Christ. The depth in Donne's metaphysical writing can be hidden when reading for the first time. Singing these words to music can provide both singers and listeners with an opportunity to become familiar with this text, and opens a way in to processing Donne's carefully-crafted message about the human and the divine aspects of the incarnation.