Hymn Lyrics

PLEASE NOTE: Not all verses may be sung and words may vary in the particular hymn presentation.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Words: Authorship Unknown; possibly 8th or 12th Century Latin
Music: Veni Emmanuel | 15th Century French Plain Song melody
1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

2. O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

3. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

4. O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

5. O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

6. O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

7. O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

8. O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Once in Royal David’s City
Words: Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander
Music: Irby | Henry John Gauntlett
1. 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.

2. 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 mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

3. And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

4. For He is our childhood’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.

5. And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

6. 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;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
Unto Us a Child Is Born
Words: 15th Century Latin
Music: Puer Nobis Nascitur | From a Trier manuscript, 15th Century. Adapted by Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)
1. Unto us a child is born,
King of all creation:
Came He to a world forlorn,
The King of every nation.

2. Cradled in a stall was He
With sleepy cows and asses;
But the very beasts could see
That He all men surpasses.

3. Herod then with fear was filled:
“A prince”, he said, “In Jewry!”
All little boys be killed
At Bethl’em in his fury.

4. Now let Mary’s Son, who came
So long ago to love us,
Lead us all with hearts aflame
Unto the joys above us.

5. Omega and Alpha He!
Let the organ thunder,
While the choir with peals of glee
Doth rend the air asunder.
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Words: Charles Wesley
Music: Mendelssohn | Félix Mendelssohn
1. Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

2. Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

3. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! [alternate, Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!]
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

4. Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

5. Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”