Root of Jesse, "", translated in 1862 by John Mason Neale as "Rod of the Root of Jesse". The text of "" dates from the 15th century. Its author is unknown. Its earliest source is in a manuscript from the Carthusian , in Trier, Germany, that is now preserved in the and is thought to have been in use at the time of Martin Luther. The hymn first appeared in print in the late 16th century in the (1599). The hymn has been used by both Catholics and Protestants, with the focus of the song being Mary or Jesus, respectively. In addition, there have been numerous versions of the hymn, with varying texts and lengths. In 1844, the German hymnologist added three more stanzas, the first of which, "", remained popular and has been included in Catholic and Protestant hymnals. The tune generally used for the hymn originally appeared in the Speyer Hymnal (printed in Cologne in 1599), and the familiar harmonization was written by German composer Michael Praetorius in 1609. A canon version for four voices also exists, based on Praetorius's harmony and sometimes attributed to his contemporary, Melchior Vulpius. The metre of the hymn is 76.76.676. In 1896, Johannes Brahms used the hymn's tune as the base for a chorale prelude for organ, one of his Eleven Chorale Preludes Op. 122, later transcribed for orchestra by Erich Leinsdorf. During the Nazi era, many German Christmas carols were rewritten to promote National Socialist ideology and to excise references to the Jewish origins of Jesus. During Christmas in Nazi Germany, "" was rewritten as "" ("A light has arisen for us/on a dark winter night"), with a secularised text evoking sunlight falling on the Fatherland and extolling the virtues of motherhood. The hymn's melody has been used by a number of composers, including Hugo Distler who used it as the base for his 1933 oratorio (The Christmas Story). Arnold Schoenberg's Weihnachtsmusik (1921) for two violins, cello, piano and harmonium is a short fantasy on Es ist ein Ros entsprungen with Stille Nacht as a contrapuntal melody. In 1990, Jan Sandström wrote for two a cappella choirs, which incorporates the setting of Praetorius in choir one. English translations Well-known versions of the hymn have been published in various English translations. Theodore Baker's "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" was written in 1894 and appears in the Psalter Hymnal (Christian Reformed Church