Scripture Verse

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king…there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him. Matthew 2:1–2

Introduction

portrait
Sanford F. Bennett (1836–1898)

Words: San­ford F. Ben­nett, in The Sig­net Ring, by Jo­seph P. Web­ster (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Ly­on & Hea­ly, 1868), page 40.

Music: El­la­combe Ge­sang­buch der Herz­ogl. Wir­tem­ber­gisch­en ka­tho­lisch­en Hof­ka­pel­le (Würt­tem­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1784). Ad­apt­ed & har­mo­nized by Will­iam H. Monk in the 1868 ap­pen­dix to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, num­ber 366 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
William H. Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

In Beth­le­hem was Je­sus born,
The Son of God Su­preme;
And wise men from the east­ward came,
Whose eyes His star had seen.
When Her­od sent them on their way,
Afar to Beth­le­hem,
A light to guide their steps aright,
That star pre­ced­ed them.

And as their long­ing eyes be­held
Its clear and gen­tle rays,
How swelled their hearts with un­told joy!
How warmed their lips with praise!
If we so seek to find the way
To lov­ing Je­sus’ feet,
Faith’s guid­ing star, with gen­tle light,
Our long­ing eyes shall greet.

And we may bear our gifts of gold,
And myrrh, and frank­in­cense,
The off’rings of a con­trite heart,
That sin­ning, yet re­pents.
And He who pi­ties sin­ful man
Those gifts of love shall bear,
And place them near the Fa­ther’s throne,
To be our wit­ness there.