Christmas Songs

With Wondering Awe

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:57:18 +0000

With wondering awe the wise men saw
The star in heaven springing,
And with delight, in peaceful night,
They heard the angel singing:
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to His name!

By light of star they traveled far
To seek the lowly manger,
A humble bed wherein was laid
The wondrous little Stranger.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to His name!

And still is found, the world around,
The old and hallowed story,
And still is sung in every tongue
The angels’ song of glory:
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to His name!

The heavenly star its rays afar
On every land is throwing,
And shall not cease till holy peace
In all the earth is growing.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to His name!

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:56:14 +0000

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not,” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind,
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.”

“To you, in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign:
The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God and thus
Addressed their joyful song:
“All glory be to God on high
And on the earth be peace,
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease.”

When Joseph Went To Bethlehem

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:55:05 +0000

When Joseph went to Bethlehem
I think he took great care
To place his tools and close his shop
and leave no shavings there.
He urged the donkey forward,
then, with Mary on its back,
And carried bread and goat cheese
in a little linen sack.

I think there at the busy inn
that he was meek and milk
And awed to be the guardian
of Mary’s sacred Child.
Perhaps all through the chilly hours
he smoothed the swaddling bands,
And Jesus felt the quiet strength of
Joseph’s gentle hands.

And close beside the manger bed
he dimmed the lantern’s light,
And held the little Jesus close upon
that holy night.

We Three Kings

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:54:03 +0000

[all]
We three kings of orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain,
moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

[Melchior]
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King for ever, ceasing never
over us all to reign.

[all]
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

[Casper]
Frankincense to offer have I,
incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God most high.

[all]
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

[Balthazar]
Myrrh is mine,
its bitter perfume breathes
a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone cold tomb.

[all]
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice!
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia,
heaven to earth replies.

O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Once In Royal David’s City

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:52:37 +0000

Once in royal David’s city,
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
and His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and meek and lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.

And through all
His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly mother,
in whose gentle arms He lay.
Christian children all should be,
mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our child-hood’s pattern,
Day by day like us He grew,
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew,
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on,
to the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars
His children crowned,
all in white shall be around.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:51:32 +0000

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth.
And praises sing to God the King.
And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him,
still The dear Christ enters in.

Where children, pure and happy,
Pray to the Blessed Child;
Where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the Mother mild;
Where charity stands watching,
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
and Christmas comes once more.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in;
Be born in us today!
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

O Holy Night

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:50:29 +0000

O holy night,
the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of
our dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world
in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared
and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope,
the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks
a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees,
O hear the angel voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born!
O night divine, O night,
O night divine!

Led by the light of Faith
serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts
by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star
sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men
from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus
in lowly manger,
In all our trials
born to be our Friend!
He knows our need,
To our weakness no stranger;
Behold your King!
Before the lowly bend!
Behold your King! your King!
before Him bend.

Truly He taught us
to love one another;
His law is love and
His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break
for the slave is our brother
And in His name
all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in
grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us
praise His holy name!
Christ is the Lord,
Oh praise His name forever,
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim
His pow’r and glory
evermore proclaim.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:49:21 +0000

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye,
O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens
of heaven above;
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be
all glory given;
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:48:13 +0000

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
With news of joy foretold,
“Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
Love’s banner all unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
Over all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
Old echoes plaintive ring,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the Angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man at war with man hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O! hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the Angels sing.

O ye, beneath life’s crushing load
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

bwp58 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:47:02 +0000

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!