The origin of this carol may be the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, which purports to be an additional work by the author of the Matthean gospel, this time recounting the birth and lifelong virginity of Mary (which already marks it as a much later work than the canonicals). It conflates the Lukan and Matthean nativities, another giveaway, and includes a birth scene in a cave on the way to Bethlehem (no failure to find room in the city this time around, but a cave!). It also includes this chapter about the flight into Egypt:
And it came to pass on the third day of their journey, while they were walking, that the blessed Mary was fatigued by the excessive heat of the sun in the desert; and seeing a palm tree, she said to Joseph: Let me rest a little under the shade of this tree. Joseph therefore made haste, and led her to the palm, and made her come down from her beast. And as the blessed Mary was sitting there, she looked up to the foliage of the palm, and saw it full of fruit, and said to Joseph: I wish it were possible to get some of the fruit of this palm. And Joseph said to her: I wonder that you say this, when you see how high the palm tree is; and that you think of eating of its fruit. I am thinking more of the want of water, because the skins are now empty, and we have none wherewith to refresh ourselves and our cattle. Then the child Jesus, with a joyful countenance, reposing in the bosom of His mother, said to the palm: O tree, bend your branches, and refresh my mother with your fruit. And immediately at these words the palm bent its top down to the very feet of the blessed Mary; and they gathered from it fruit, with which they were all refreshed. And after they had gathered all its fruit, it remained bent down, waiting the order to rise from Him who had commanded it to stoop. Then Jesus said to it: Raise yourself, O palm tree, and be strong, and be the companion of my trees, which are in the paradise of my Father; and open from your roots a vein of water which has been hid in the earth, and let the waters flow, so that we may be satisfied from you. And it rose up immediately, and at its root there began to come forth a spring of water exceedingly clear and cool and sparkling. And when they saw the spring of water, they rejoiced with great joy, and were satisfied, themselves and all their cattle and their beasts. Wherefore they gave thanks to God.
The chapter divisions seem to be in the original, another giveaway since the gospels and letters were not divided into chapters, or versified, by their authors. The "gospel" includes letters from Jerome, who allegedly translated it from Hebrew (Matthew's gospel is in koine Greek) into Latin. Except the "gospel" is probably from the 7th century, and Jerome died in the 4th century. So....
Anyway, if this pseudo-gospel is the origin of the 16th century carol, it was moved from post-birth to pre-birth, and in several versions includes the concluding lines here, predicting the Christchild’s birth on January 6th.
Whatever. I like the carol, and it suits the day. IMHO, anyway.
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