Nowell, nowell, nowell! This is the salutacyon of the angell Gabryell.
Tydynges trew ther be cum new, sent from the Trinite, be Gabriel to Nazaret, cite of Galile.
A clene mayden and pure virgyn, thorow hyre humilite, hath conceyvid the secund person in divinite.
Whan he fyrst presentid was before hyre fayre visag, in the most demuere and goodly wys he ded to hyre omag,
And seid, ‘Lady, frome heven so hy, that Lordes herytag the wich of the borne wold be, I am sent on messag.’
‘Hayle, virgyne celestiall, the mekest that euer was; hayle, temple of deitie and myrrour of all grace;
Hayle, virgine puer, I the ensure, within full lytyl space thou shalt receyue and hym conceyue that shal bryng gret solace.’
Sodenly she, abashid truly, but not al thyng dismayd, with mynd dyscret and mek spyryt to the angell she said,
‘With what maner shuld I chyld bere, the wich euer a maid, haue lyvid chast al my lyf past and neuer mane asaid?’
Than agayne to hir certeyn answered the angell, ‘O lady dere, be of god chere, and dred the neuer a dell.
Thou shalt conceyue in thi body, mayden, very God hymself, in whos byrth heven and erth shal joy, callid Emanuell.’
‘Not yit,’ he seid, ‘vi monethys past, thi cosyn Elyzabeth, that was baren, conceyvid Sent Johan, tru it is that I tell.
Syn she in ag, why not in yought mayst thou conceyue as well, if God wyl, whome is possybyll to haue don euery dell?’
Thane ageyne to the angell she answered womanly, ‘Whateuer my Lord command me do I wyll obey mekely.
Ecce, sum humilima ancilla Domini; secundum verbum tuum,’ she seid, ‘fiat mihi.’