Sorry. Couldn’t resist. And of course the answer is “no,” although hooded monks have probably sung this carol many times through the ages.
So what does the title mean, and (leading question here) are there any interesting facts about the song’s background? “Personent” means to resound or resonate, literally “to sound through.” “Hodie” shows up in many Latin Christmas carols; it simply means “today” or “this day.” So the title means something like “let resounding happen today.” Perhaps before I go any further I should provide the Latin verses and their literal English translation so that you’ll know what I’m talking about as I go through said background:
Like many other Christmas carols, the words to “I Saw Three Ships” don’t make much sense when you look closely at them. Had you ever asked yourself the question in the title? Probably not. Most of us don’t carry around a map of Palestine in our heads, so the absurdities of the lyrics aren’t obvious. I’m therefore including such a map below this post, which will serve to prove that indeed it would be impossible for the words of this carol to have any connection to reality at all. So what on earth are the words talking about?