Scripture Verse

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:8–9

Introduction

portrait
John Brownlie (1857–1925)

Words: Un­known aut­hor (άγ­γε­λοί με­τά ποί­μέ­νων δοξ­άζου­σι). Trans­lat­ed from Greek to Eng­lish by John Brown­lie, Hymns of the Apos­tol­ic Church (Pais­ley, Scot­land: Al­ex­an­der Gard­ner, 1909).

Music: Brown­well Franz J. Hay­dn (1732–1809) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Franz J. Haydn (1732–1809)

Lyrics

A band of herds­men tar­ried late,
Through hours of night dis­con­so­late;
Around, the snow lay glist­en­ing white,
And stars o’er­head were shin­ing bright;
O fa­vored shep­herds, there shall rise
A bright­er star in yon­der skies.

Whence comes this glo­ry, bright­er far
Than light that shines from mid­night star?
An an­gel from the Lord ap­pears,
And lo! their minds are filled with fears;
O fa­vored sheph­erds, where­fore fear?
The mes­sen­ger of God is here.

O band of herds­men, list! I bring
Glad tid­ings of a pro­mised king;
Go, in a man­ger ye shall find
The new-born Sav­ior of man­kind
;
O fa­vored shep­herds, such sur­prise!
To see the Christ in mean dis­guise.

Then stood the herds­men all amaze,
For hea­ven with glo­ry was ablaze;
And choirs of an­gels, clad in white,
Awoke with song the si­lent night;
O fa­vored shep­herds, ye were blest,
To hear that heav’n­ly song ex­pressed.

To God be glo­ry, thus they sang,
While earth and Heav’n with mu­sic rang;
And peace abound­ing hence­forth dwell
With those on earth who please Me well
;
O fa­vored shep­herds, night is past,
And morn, bright morn, is come at last.

O band of herds­men, long ago,
That song was sung on earth be­low,
Now my­ri­ad hosts up­lift the strains
That first awoke on Beth­le’m’s plains;
O fa­vored shep­herds, round the throne,
The an­gel’s song is now your own.

illustration
Announcement to the Shepherds