In Stature Grows The Heavenly Child

This hymn was used for Lauds for Sundays after the Octave of the Nativity until the Presentation unless Septuagesima occurs first  in the Paris Breviary(1736). 

This is the original text of the hymn from John Chandler’s 1837 Hymns of the Primitive Church. This also how the text appears in The English Hymnal (1906) where it is listed for weeks after Epiphany until Septuagesima:

In stature grows the heavenly Child,
With death before His eyes;
A Lamb unblemished, meek and mild,
Prepared for sacrifice.

The Son of God his glory hides
With parents mean and poor:
And He who made the heaven abides
In dwelling-place obscure.

Those mighty hands that stay the sky
No earthly toil refuse,
And He who set the stars on high,
A humble trade pursues.

He before whom the angels stand,
At whose behest they fly,
Now yields Himself to man’s command,
And lay his glory by.

*The Father’s name we loudly raise,
The Son we all adore,
The Holy Ghost, one God, we praise
Both now and evermore. Amen.

Words: Jean-Baptiste de Santeul, 17th C; tr. John Chandler, 1837.
Tune: “Tallis’ Ordinal” Thomas Tallis, ca. 1567.
Meter: 8.6.8.6

(1) The English Hymnal (1906) uses this closing Doxology instead:

Jesu, the Virgin’s holy son,
We praise thee and adore,
Who art with God the Father one,
And Spirit evermore. Amen

This is the text as it appears in  Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861) as altered by Rev. John Keble. It is listed for Epiphany in that hymnal:

The Heavenly Child in stature grows,
And growing learns to die;
And still His early training shows
His coming agony.

The Son of God His Glory hides
With parents mean and poor;
And He Who made the heavens abides
In dwelling-place obscure.

Those mighty Hands that rule the sky
No earthly toil refuse;
The Maker of the stars on high
An humble trade pursues.

He Whom the choirs of angels praise,
Bearing each dread decree,
His earthly parents now obeys,
In deep humility.

For this Thy lowliness revealed,
Jesu, we Thee adore;
And praise to God the Father yield,
And Spirit evermore. Amen.

The original Latin text of this hymn may be found here.