Question: who wrote the song what child is this?
Answer: William Chatterton Dix

'' What Child Is This ? '' is a Christmas carol whose lyrics were written by William Chatterton Dix , in 1865 . At the time of composing the carol , Dix worked as an insurance company manager and had been struck by a severe illness . While recovering , he underwent a spiritual renewal that led him to write several hymns , including lyrics to this carol that was subsequently set to the tune of '' Greensleeves '' , a traditional English folk song . Although it was written in Great Britain , the carol is more popular in the United States than in its country of origin today .