What Child Is This
Text by William Chatterton Dix (1865; 1837–1898). Tune GREENSLEEVES is traditional English folk melody predating 1580. Public domain in all jurisdictions.
Verse 1
EmWhat child is Dthis who Glaid to rest on B7Ma-ry's lap is Emsleep-ing
Whom Gan-gels greet with Dan-thems sweet while B7shep-herds watch are Emkeep-ing
Chorus
GThis this is DChrist the B7King whom Emshep-herds guard and Can-gels B7sing
GHaste haste to Dbring Him B7laud the Embabe the Cson of B7Ma-Emry
Verse 2
EmWhy lies He in Dsuch mean es-Gtate where B7ox and ass are Emfeed-ing
Good GChris-tian fear for Dsin-ners here the B7si-lent Word is Emplead-ing
Chorus
GThis this is DChrist the B7King whom Emshep-herds guard and Can-gels B7sing
GHaste haste to Dbring Him B7laud the Embabe the Cson of B7Ma-Emry
Verse 3
EmSo bring Him in-Dcense gold and Gmyrrh come B7peas-ant king to Emown Him
The GKing of kings sal-Dva-tion brings let B7lov-ing hearts en-Emthrone Him
Chorus
GThis this is DChrist the B7King whom Emshep-herds guard and Can-gels B7sing
GHaste haste to Dbring Him B7laud the Embabe the Cson of B7Ma-Emry
Structure
Playing Tips
🎸 Strum Pattern
GREENSLEEVES in 3/4 is most naturally fingerpicked — thumb on the Em bass note (low E string), then index and middle on the higher strings in a waltz pattern. If you strum, keep it very light: down on beat 1, rest on 2, gentle down-up on 3. The B7 chord is what most guitarists stumble on here because it appears so early in the progression. B7 is the secondary dominant pulling to Em — it creates that distinctive longing quality that defines the verse. Practice Em to B7 and back until the transition is smooth; the emotional arc of the song depends on landing that chord cleanly.
🔊 Dynamics
This is a contemplative Christmas hymn, not a celebratory one — the minor key tells you that from the first bar. Start verse 1 with acoustic guitar alone or piano alone. The chorus lifts slightly but should never be loud. The verse asks a question ("What child is this?") and the chorus answers it ("This, this is Christ the King") — let those two emotional postures be heard in the dynamic. Final verse and chorus can be the fullest but still restrained. When this hymn is played with the quiet it deserves, people lean in.
🎵 Band Direction
Acoustic guitar, piano, and a cello or violin if available — no drums. The GREENSLEEVES melody is fragile and beautiful and does not respond well to a rhythm section underneath it. If you use a bass player, have them play long, held root notes only — no walking, no fills. Piano and guitar should comp in the middle register, leaving the top open for the vocal melody. We have played this hymn in our Christmas services with just classical guitar and it has brought more stillness into the room than almost anything else we have tried.
🎤 Vocal
The question structure of the verse — "What child is this?" — is rhetorical and the vocalist should inhabit that wondering quality before the chorus declares the answer. There is a moment between the end of verse 2 and the chorus where the congregation is still processing "the silent Word is pleading" and the chorus "This, this is Christ the King" should feel like revelation, not announcement. The word "This" at the start of the chorus is the pivot — give it a beat of weight. The final "son of Mary" resolution on Em is where the emotion settles every time we sing this.
→ Transitions
Perfect for Christmas Eve alongside Silent Night and O Come O Come Emmanuel. The minor key of GREENSLEEVES speaks to the darkness and poverty into which Christ was born — it carries the suffering undertone of the Incarnation that major-key Christmas songs often miss. We typically place What Child Is This between two quieter hymns in the Christmas set. It can also open a Christmas service as a question the whole service then answers. Do not use it after a high-energy song — it needs quiet space before it.