What Child Is This? is sung to the music of Greensleeves, a traditional English song. Greensleeves was first registered in 1580 to Richard Jones. Legend was it that Henry VIII wrote the song and his daughter Queen Elizabeth danced to it. Shakespeare even referenced the song in his "The Merry Wives Of Winsor." In 1865, William Chatterton Dix published "The Manger Throne" poem from which three stanzas were taken and sung over the music to Greensleeves to create this great Christmas Carole. A chord-melody arrangement of this song is presented below in the key of Am. The song is played very gently, but not dragging in 3/4 time.

           Am G/B    C           G       G/B   
 e |-----|--------|--0--2--0--|--------|-----------|
 B |-----|--1--3--|--1--------|--3--0--|--------0--|
 G |--2--|--2--0--|--0--------|--0-----|--0--2-----|
 D |-----|--2--0--|--2--------|--0-----|--0--------|
 A |-----|--0--2--|--3--------|--2-----|--2--------|
 E |-----|--------|-----------|--3-----|-----------|
    What  child is this who    laid to   rest   on
     
     Am        F           E                Am G/B
 e |--------|-----------|--------|--------|--------|
 B |--1-----|-----------|--0-----|-----0--|--1--3--|
 G |--2--2--|--2--1--2--|--1--1--|--------|--2--0--|
 D |--2-----|--3--------|--2-----|--2-----|--2--0--|
 A |--0-----|--3--------|--2-----|--2-----|--0--2--|
 E |--------|--1--------|--0-----|--0-----|--------|
    Mary's    lap    is  sleeping  whom     angels

      C           G       G/B          F  
 e |--0--2--0--|--------|-----------|----------|----
 B |--1--------|--3--0--|--------0--|--1--0----|----
 G |--0--------|--0-----|--0--2-----|--2-----2-|----
 D |--2--------|--0-----|--0--------|--3-------|----
 A |--3--------|--2-----|--2--------|--3-------|----
 E |-----------|--3-----|-----------|--1-------|----
     greet with anthems  sweet while  shepards

                     
      E          Am                 C 
 e |-----------|-----|--------0--|--3--|--3--2--0--|
 B |-----------|-----|-----1-----|--1--|--1--------|
 G |--1-----1--|--2--|--2--------|--0--|--0--------|
 D |--2--4-----|--2--|--2--------|--2--|--2--------|
 A |--2--------|--0--|--0--------|--3--|--3--------|
 E |--0--------|-----|-----------|-----|-----------|
     Watch are  keep - ing        This   this  is   

      G       G/B         Am        F
 e |--------|-----------|--------|-----------|------
 B |--3--0--|--------0--|--1-----|-----------|------
 G |--0-----|--0--2-----|--2--2--|--2--1--2--|------
 D |--0-----|--0--------|--2-----|--3--------|------
 A |--2-----|--2--------|--0-----|--3--------|------
 E |--3-----|-----------|--------|--1--------|------
   Christ the  king whom sheppards guard  and 


      E                 C                 G
 e |--------|--------|--3--|--3--2--0--|--------|---
 B |--0-----|-----0--|--1--|--1--------|--3--0--|---
 G |--1--1--|--------|--0--|--0--------|--0-----|---
 D |--2-----|--2-----|--2--|--2--------|--0-----|---
 A |--2-----|--2-----|--3--|--3--------|--2-----|---
 E |--0-----|--0-----|-----|-----------|--3-----|---
     angels   sing    Haste haste   to  bring Him

     G/B         Am           E          Am
 e |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----|-----||
 B |--------0--|--1--0-----|-----------|-----|-----||
 G |--0--2-----|--2-----2--|--1-----1--|--2--|--2--||
 D |--0--------|--2--------|--2--4-----|--2--|--2--||
 A |--2--------|--0--------|--2--------|--0--|--0--||
 E |-----------|-----------|--0--------|-----|-----||
     laud the     Babe the   Son    of  Mary.

     Am                G 
What Child is this who laid to rest

   F             E7
On Mary's lap is sleeping

     Am                G     
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

      F         E7        Am
While shepherds watch are keeping

C             G       
This, this is Christ the King

     F                   E7 
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing

C              G
Haste haste to bring Him laud

    F        E7     Am
The Babe the Son of Mary.


Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading

So bring Him incense gold and myrrh
Come, peasant King to own Him
The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone him

Greensleeves Lyrics:

Alas my love you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
For I have loved you well and long
Delighting in your company

Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves. 

Additional Verses:

Your vows you've broken like my heart
Oh why did you so enrapture me
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity

I have been ready at your hand
To grant whatever you would crave
I have both wagered life and land
Your love and good-will for to have

If you intend thus to disdain
It does the more enrapture me
And even so I still remain
A lover in captivity

My men were clothed all in green
And they did ever wait on thee
All this was gallant to be seen
And yet thou wouldst not love me

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing
But still thou hadst it readily
Thy music still to play and sing
And yet thou wouldst not love me

Well I will pray to God on high
That thou my constancy mayst see
And that yet once before I die
Thou wilt vouch safe to love me

Ah Greensleeves now farewell adieu
To God I pray to prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true
Come once again and love me