11 December, 1999 1 Songs For Christmas

1 — Angels From The Realms Of Glory 2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?

]Public Domain Why your joyous songs prolong?
James Montgomery, 1816 What great brightness did you see?
What glad tidings did you hear?
1. Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth; 3. Come to Bethlehem and see
Ye who sang creations story, Him whose birth the angels sing,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth: Come adore on bended knee,
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King. 3 — As With Gladness Men of Old
]Public Domain
2. Shepherds in the field abiding, William Chatterton Dix, 1860
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing, 1. As with gladness men of old
Yonder shines the infant Light: Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright;
3. Sages, leave your contemplations; So, most gracious Lord, may we
Brighter visions beam afar; Evermore be led to Thee.
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star: 2. As with joyful steps they sped,
Saviour, to Thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
4. Saints before the altar bending, Thee, whom heaven and earth adore;
Watching long in hope and fear, So may we with willing feet
Suddenly the Lord, descending, Ever seek Thy mercy-seat.
In His temple shall appear:
3. As they offered gifts most rare
At that cradle rude and bare;
5. Though an infant now we view Him,
So may we with holy joy,
He shall find His Father’s throne, Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
Gather all the nations to Him; All our costliest treasures bring,
Every knee shall then bow down: Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

4. Holy Jesu, every day

Keep us in the narrow way;
2 — Angels We Have Heard On High And, when earthly things are past,
]Public Domain Bring our ransomed souls at last
Traditional French Carol
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds their glory hide.
1. Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains. 5. In the heavenly country bright
And the mountains in reply, Need they no created light;
Echoing their joyous strains. Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
Glo—ria in excelsis Deo.
There for ever may we sing
Glo—ria in excelsis Deo.
Alleluias to our King.
Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>. Last Revised: April 26, 2010
Songs For Christmas 2 11 December, 1999

4 — Away In A Manger 3. See the blazing Yule before us,

]Public Domain Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
Anonymous Strike the harp and join the chorus,
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, Follow me in merry measure,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
head. While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
The stars in the bright sky look down where Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2. The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes, 6 — God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes. ]Public Domain
Traditional English Carol
I love You, Lord Jesus; look down from the
sky,
1. God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing
And stay by my bedside ’till morning is nigh.
you dismay,
Remember Christ our Saviour was born on
3. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask You to stay Christmas Day;
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray. To save us all from Satan’s pow’r, when we
Bless all the dear children in Your tender were gone astray.
care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with You there. O— tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
O— tidings of comfort and joy.

2. From God, our Heavenly Father, a blessed

5 — Deck The Hall angel came,
]Public Domain
Traditional Welsh Song
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings
of the same;
1. Deck the hall with boughs of holly, How that in Bethlehem was born, the Son of
Fa la la la la, la la, la la. God, by name.
’Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
7 — Good Christian Men, Rejoice
]Public Domain
Toll the ancient Yuletide carol, Rev. John M Neale, 1853
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
1. Good Christian men, rejoice,
2. Fast away the old year passes, With heart and soul and voice,
Fa la la la la, la la, la la. Give ye heed to what we say: News! News!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Jesus Christ was born today;
Fa la la la la, la la, la la. Ox and ass before Him bow,
Sing, we joyous, all together, And He is in the manger now.
Fa la la la la, la la, la la. Christ is born today!
Heedless of the wind and weather, Christ is born today!
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.
Last Revised: 26 December, 1998 Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>.
11 December, 1999 3 Songs For Christmas

2. Good Christian men, rejoice, 3. “Bring me flesh and bring me wine,

With heart and soul and voice; Bring me pine-logs hither;
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy! Thou and I will see him dine,
Jesus Christ was born for this! When we bear them thither.”
He has ope’d the heavenly door, Page and monarch forth they went,
And man is blessèd evermore. Forth they went together,
Christ was born for this! Through the rude wind’s wild lament,
Christ was born for this! And the bitter weather.

3. Good Christian men, rejoice, 4. “Sire, the night is darker now,

With heart and soul and voice! And the wind blows stronger:
Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Fails my heart, I know not how,
Peace! I can go no longer.”
Jesus Christ was born to save! “Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Calls you one and calls you all, Tread thou in them boldly;
To gain His everlasting hall: Thou shall find the winter’s rage
Christ was born to save! Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
Christ was born to save!

5. In his master’s steps he trod,

Where the snow lay dinted,
Heat was in the very sod
8 — Good King Wenceslas Which the Saint had printed;
]Public Domain Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Rev. John M. Neale, 1853 Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
1. Good King Wenceslas look’d out Shall yourselves find blessing.
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even:
Brightly shone the moon that night, 9 — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Though the frost was cruèl, ]Public Domain
When a poor man came in sight, Rev. Charles Wesley, 1739
Gath’ring winter fuèl
1. Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
2. “Hither, page, and stand by me, Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
If thou know’st it, telling, God and sinners reconciled.
Yonder peasant, who is he? Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Where and what his dwelling?” Join the triumph of the skies;
“Sire, he lives a good league hence, With the angelic host proclaim,
Underneath the mountain; “Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Right against the forest fence,
By St. Agnes’ fountain.” Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.
Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>. Last Revised: 26 December, 1998
Songs For Christmas 4 11 December, 1999

2. Christ, by highest heaven adored, 11 — Huron Carol

Christ, the everlasting Lord, ]Public Domain
Late in time behold Him come, St. Jean de Brébeuf, 1643
Tr. by J. Edgar Middleton, 1926
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the God head see!
1. ’Twas in the moon of winter-time,
Hail, the Incarnate Deity!
When all the birds had fled,
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim,
3. Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace! And wond’ring hunters heard the hymn:
Hail, the Sun of righteousness! Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
Light and life to all He brings, In excelsis gloria.
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, 2. Within a lodge of broken bark
Born that man no more may die, The tender Babe was found,
Born to raise the sons of earth, A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Born to give them second birth. Enwrapped His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel-song rang loud and high.

10 — Here We Come A-Wassailing

]Public Domain 3. The earliest moon of winter-time
Traditional English Song Is not so round and fair
As was the reign of glory on
1. Here we come a-wassailing The helpless Infant there.
Among the leaves so green, The chiefs from far before Him knelt
Here we come a-wand’ring, With gifts of fox and beaver-pelt.
So fair to be seen.
4. O children of the forest free,
Love and joy come to you, O sons of Manitou,
And to you, your wassail too, The Holy Child of earth and heaven
And God bless you and send you a happy New Is born today for you.
Year Come kneel before the radiant Boy,
And God send you a happy New Year. Who brings you beauty, peace, and joy.
2. We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours’ children 12 — I Saw Three Ships
Whom you have seen before. ]Public Domain
Traditional English Carol, 1666

3. Good master and mistress, 1. I saw three ships come sailing in,
As you sit by the fire, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Pray think of us poor children I saw three ships come sailing in,
Who wander in the mire. On Christmas Day in the morning.

Last Revised: 26 December, 1998 Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>.

11 December, 1999 5 Songs For Christmas

2. And what was in those ships all three? 3. Yet with the woes of sin and strife
On Christmas day, on Christmas day The world has suffered long;
And what was in those ships all three? Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
On Christmas day in the morning. Two thousand years of wrong;
And man at war with man hears not
The words of peace they bring:
3. Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
O listen now, ye men of strife,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And hear the angels sing.
Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.
4. O ye, beneath life’s crushing load
4. Pray, whither sailed those ships all three? . . . Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
5. O, they sailed to Bethlehem, . . . Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing:
6. And all the bells on earth shall ring, . . . O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing.

7. And all the angels in Heaven shall sing, . . .

5. For lo, the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
8. And all the souls on earth shall sing, . . .
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
13 — It Came Upon A Midnight Clear The Prince of Peace their King.
]Public Domain And the whole world send back the song
Rev. E. H. Sears, 1849 Which now the angels sing.

1. It came upon a midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth 14 — Jingle Bells
To touch their harps of gold: ]Public Domain
James Pierpont, 1857
Peace on the earth, good-will to men
From heaven’s all-gracious King: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
The world in solemn stillness lay Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open
To hear the angels sing. sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open
2. Still through the cloven skies they come sleigh!
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats 1. Dashing through the snow, in a one horse
O’er all the weary world: open sleigh,
Above its sad and lowly plains O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way.
They bend on hovering wing, Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds What fun it is to ride and sing in a sleighing
The blessèd angels sing. song tonight.
Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>. Last Revised: 26 December, 1998
Songs For Christmas 6 11 December, 1999

15 — Joy To The World O come, let us adore Him,

]Public Domain O come, let us adore Him,
Rev. Isaac Watts, 1719 O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

1. Joy to the world! The Lord is come: 2. See how the Shepherds,
Let earth receive her King. Summoned to His cradle,
Let every heart prepare Him room, Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly
And heaven and nature sing; fear;
And heaven and nature sing; We too will thither
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. Bend our joyful footsteps:

2. Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns:

3. Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Let men their songs employ;
Born this happy morning,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and
Jesu, to Thee be glory given;
plains
Word of the Father,
Repeat the sounding joy;
Now in flesh appearing:
Repeat the sounding joy;
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
4. Lo! star-led chieftains,
3. No more let sin and sorrow grow, Magi, Christ adoring,
Nor thorns infest the ground: Offer Him frankincense and gold and myrrh;
He comes to make His blessings flow We to the Christ Child
Far as the curse is found; far as the curse is Bring our hearts’ oblations:
found;
Far as, far as the curse is found.

4. He rules the world with truth and grace, 17 — O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
And makes the nations prove ]Public Domain
The glories of His righteousness 12th cent. Latin Plainsong
And wonders of his love; Tr. by Rev. John M. Neale

And wonders of his love;

And wonders, wonders of his love. 1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appears.
16 — O Come All Ye Faithful
]Public Domain Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Latin Carol, 18th cent.
Tr. by Canon F. Oakeley (1841), W. T. Brooke, & others Shall come to thee, O Israel.

1. O come, all ye faithful, 2. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Joyful and triumphant, Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; From depths of hell Thy people save,
Come and behold Him And give them victory o’er the grave.
Born the King of angels:
Last Revised: 26 December, 1998 Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>.
11 December, 1999 7 Songs For Christmas

3. O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer 19 — O Little Town of Bethlehem

Our spirits by Thine Advent here; ]Public Domain
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, Bishop Phillips Brooks, 1868

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

1. O little town of Bethlehem,
4. O come, Thou Key of David, come, How still we see thee lie;
And open wide our heavenly home; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
Make safe the way that leads on high, The silent stars go by:
And close the path to misery. Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
5. O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Are met in thee tonight.
Who to Thy tribes, from Sinai’s height,
In ancient time didst give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
2. For Christ is born of Mary;
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
18 — O Holy Night Their watch of wondering love.
]Public Domain O morning stars, together
Traditional
Tr. by J. S. Dwight
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
1. O Holy night! the stars are brightly shining, And peace to men on earth!
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. 3. How silently, how silently,
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, The wondrous gift is given!
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn; So God imparts to humans hearts
Fall on your knees, The blessings of His heaven:
O hear the angel voices! No ear may hear His coming;
O night divine, O night when Christ was But in this world of sin,
born! Where meek souls will receive Him, still
O night divine, O night, O night divine. The dear Christ enters in.

2. Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love, and His gospel is peace; 4. O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Chains shall He break for the slave is our Descend to us, we pray;
brother, Cast out our sin, and enter in;
And in His name all oppression shall cease. Be born in us today.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise We hear the heavenly angels
we, The great glad tidings tell:
Let all within us praise His holy name; O come to us, abide with us,
Christ is the Lord, Oh praise His name Our Lord Emmanuel.
forever!
His pow’r and glory, ever more proclaim!
His pow’r and glory, ever more proclaim!
Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>. Last Revised: April 26, 2010
Songs For Christmas 8 11 December, 1999

20 — Once In Royal David’s City 21 — Silent Night

]Public Domain ]Public Domain
Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848 Rev. Joseph Mohr, 1818
Tr. from German

1. Once in royal David’s city

Stood a lowly cattle shed, 1. Silent night! holy night!
Where a mother laid her baby All is calm, all is bright.
In a manger for his bed: ’Round yon virgin, mother and child,
Mary was that mother mild, Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Jesus Christ her little child. Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
2. He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all, 2. Silent night! holy night!
And His shelter was a stable, Shepherds quake at the sight,
And His cradle was a stall; Glories stream from heaven afar,
With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Heav’nly hosts sing, “Alleluia,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy. Christ, the Saviour, is born.
Christ, the Saviour, is born.”
3. And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honour and obey, 3. Silent night! holy night!
Love and watch the lowly maiden Son of God, love’s pure light
In whose gentle arms He lay: Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
Christian children all must be With the dawn of redeeming grace.
Mild, obedient, good as He. Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
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;
22 — The First Noël
]Public Domain
And He feels for our sadness, Traditional English Carol, c. 17th cent.
And He shares in our gladness.
1. The first Noël the angel did say
5. And our eyes at last shall see Him Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as
Through His own redeeming love, they lay;
For that Child so dear and gentle In fields where they lay a-keeping their
Is our Lord in heaven above; sheep,
And He leads His children on On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
To the place where He is gone.
“Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël
Born is the King of Israel.”
6. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by, 2. They lookèd up and saw a star
We shall see Him; but in heaven, Shining in the east, beyond them far,
Set at God’s right hand on high; And to the earth it gave great light,
When like stars His children crowned, And so it continued both day and night.
All in white shall wait around.
Last Revised: 26 December, 1998 Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>.
11 December, 1999 9 Songs For Christmas

3. And by the light of that same star 24 — We Three Kings of Orient Are
Three wise men came from country far; ]Public Domain
To seek for a king was their intent, Rev. J. H. Hopkins, 1857

And to follow the star wherever it went.

1. We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
4. This star drew nigh to the north-west, Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest, Following yonder star.
And there it did both stop and stay
O— star of wonder, star of night,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Star with royal beauty bright;
West-ward leading, still proceeding,
5. Then entered in those wise men three, Guide us to thy perfect light.
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence, 2. Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King for ever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
6. Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
3. Frankincense to offer have I,
That has made heaven and earth of nought,
Incense owns a Deity nigh,
And with His Blood mankind has bought.
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God most high.

23 — The Holly & The Ivy 4. Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
]Public Domain Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Traditional French Carol
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
1. The holly and the ivy
When they were both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood 5. Glorious now behold Him arise,
The holly bears the crown. King, and God, and Sacrifice,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
O the rising of the sun, Earth to the heavens replies.
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir. 25 — What Child Is This
]Public Domain
2. The holly bears a blossom Traditional English Carol

As white as any flow’r,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, 1. What child is this, who laid to rest
To be our sweet Saviour. On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
3. The holly bears a berry,
This, this is Christ the King,
As red as any blood,
Whom Shepherds guard and angels sing:
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
To do poor sinners good.
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>. Last Revised: 26 December, 1998
Songs For Christmas 10 11 December, 1999

2. Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear for sinners here,
The silent word is pleading.

3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant, King to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

26 — While Shepherds Watched

]Public Domain
Nahum Tate, 1700

1. While shepherds watched their flocks by

night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.

2. “Fear not,” said he (for mighty dread

Had seized their troubled minds);
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

3. “To you, in David’s town, this day

Is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

4. “The heavenly Babe you there shall find

To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”

5. Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith

Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:

6. “All glory be to God on high,

And to the earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin, and never cease.”
Last Revised: April 26, 2010 Compiled by Christopher Rath <crath@cyberus.ca>.