Nahum Tate - Life, Works, Whilst Shepherds Watch'd, Reference

Poet and playwright, born in Dublin, Ireland. He studied at Dublin, and moved to London, where his first play was staged in 1678. He is known for his ‘improved’ versions of Shakespeare's tragedies, substituting happy endings to suit the popular taste, and with Dryden's help he wrote a second part to that poet's Absalom and Achitophel (1682). In collaboration with Nicholas Brady (1659–1726) he compiled a metrical version of the psalms. He became poet laureate in 1692.

Nahum Tate (1652 – 1715) was an Anglo-Irish poet, hymnist and lyricist, who became Poet Laureate in 1692.

Life

Nahum Tate was born in Dublin in 1652, the son of Faithful Teate, an Irish clergyman, who had written a quaint poem on the Trinity entitled Ter Tria.

Works

Tate published a volume of poems in London in 1677, and became a regular writer for the stage.

Tate wrote the words to a number of hymns, of which the most famous is the Christmas carol "Song of the Angels at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour", more famously known by its opening line "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks".

Tate also translated Syphilis sive Morbus Gallicus, Girolamo Fracastoro's Latin pastoral poem on the subject of the disease of syphilis into English heroic couplets.

Tate was named as poet laureate in 1692.

Preceded by: Thomas Shadwell

British Poet Laureate 1692–1715

Succeeded by: Nicholas Rowe

Whilst Shepherds Watch'd

Whilst Shepherds Watch'd
Whilst Shepherds watch'd their flocks by night, All seated on the ground, The Angel of the Lord came down, And glory shone around. Fear not, said he, for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind, Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. To you in David's town this day Is born of David's line A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord; And this shall be the sign. The heavenly Babe you there shall find, To human view display'd, All meanly wrapt in swaddling bands And in a manger laid. Thus spake the Seraph, and forthwith Appeared a heavenly throng Of Angels praising God, and thus Address'd their joyful song: All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace, Good-will henceforth from Heav'n to men Begin and never cease. Hallelujah.

Reference

Selected Writings of the Laureate Dunces, Nahum Tate (Laureate 1692-1715), Laurence Eusden (1718-1730), and Colley Cibber (1730-1757) (Studies in British Literature, V.