"From heaven above to earth I come To bring good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, To all the world, and gladly sing:" "To you this night is born a child Of Mary, chosen mother mild; This little child, of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth." "This is the Christ, our God and Lord, Who in all need shall aid afford; He will Himself your Savior be From all your sins to set you free." "He will on you the gifts bestow prepared by God for all below, that in his kingdom, bright and fair, you may with us his glory share." "These are the tokens ye shall mark: The swaddling clothes and manger dark; There ye will find the babe and maid, By whom the heav’n and earth were made." How glad we'll be to find it so! Then with the shepherds let us go to see what God for us has done in sending us his own dear Son. Come here, my friends, lift up your eyes, and see what in the manger lies. Who is this child, so young and fair? It is the Christ-child lying there. Welcome to earth, O noble Guest, Through whom e’en wicked men are blest! Thou com’st to share our misery That Thou mayst know our joy and be. Ah, Lord, though you created all, How weak you are, so poor and small, that you should choose to lay your head where lowly cattle lately fed! And so it pleases you to see thi simple truth revealed to me: That all the world's wealth, honor, might are weak and worthless in your sight. Were earth a thousand times as fair and set with gold and jewels rare, it would be far too poor and small a cradle for the Lord of all. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled, A quiet chamber in my heart, That Thou and I may never part. Instead of soft and silken stuff you have but hay and straw so rough on which as King, so rich and great, to be enthroned in royal state. My heart for very joy must leap; My lips no more can silence keep. I, too, must sing with joyful tongue that sweetest ancient cradle song. Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son has given; While angels sing with pious mirth A glad new year to all the earth.
