Scripture Verse

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10–11

Introduction

Words: Fan­ny B. Earle, in the Pri­ma­ry Teach­ers’ Ma­nu­al, ed­it­ed by Chris­to­pher R. Black­all (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Am­er­ican Bap­tist Pub­li­ca­tion So­cie­ty, 1913), num­ber 25.

Music: Per­pig­nan Fan­ny B. Earle, 1913 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Earle (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

illustration
Shepherds Abiding in the Fields
Carl H. Bloch (1834–1890)

In the calm of that long ago night,
Far away on the Beth­le­hem hills,
There was seen a most won­der­ful light,
By the shep­herds who faith­ful watch kept.

And the voice of an an­gel they heard,
Saying Fear not, good tid­ings I bring;
To all peo­ple pro­claim the glad word,
That a Sav­ior is born, Christ the Lord.

Then the hea­vens with glad an­thems rang;
Glory, glo­ry to God, the re­frain;
As the angel and heav’n­ly host sang,
On earth peace, and good will un­to men.