Es Ist ein Ros Entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming)

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-gone was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright
She bore to men a Savior
When half-gone was the night.

This Advent and Christmas hymn, possibly dating to the fifteenth century, draws textually from Isaiah's prophecies. The "rose" emerging from Jesse's stem symbolizes Christ's birth as the source of life through death. Michael Praetorius published this beloved Advent hymn in 1609, directing its "rose" symbolism toward Christ's incarnation rather than Mary. Theodore Baker later translated the first two verses into English around 1894. The arrangement balances peaceful melody with subtle melancholy, reflecting the duality of Christmas—rejoicing in Christ's incarnation whilst acknowledging His sacrifice and promised return. 

Melchior Vulpius, a contemporary of Praetorius composed a four-voice canon based upon the same melody. Though more concise in scope, the Vulpius canon functions effectively as a distinguished prelude to Praetorius's more expansive composition.

As recorded on the 2025 album release from the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble, "Frohe Weihnachten!"