Scripture Verse

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength. Psalm 8:2

Introduction

Words: Adapt­ed from Ro­bert T. S. Low­ell in Car­ols of Hope, ed­ited by Cla­rence M. Sea­mans, Fred­er­ick S. Stan­ton & Fran­cis Black­mer (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ad­vent Chris­tian Pub­li­ca­tion So­ci­ety, 1906), page 164. First known pub­li­ca­tion was in The Po­ems of Ro­bert Low­ell (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: E. P. Dut­ton, 1864), pages 56–57.

Music: Es­wa­ti­ni Fran­cis A. Black­mer, 1905 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Robert Lowell (1816–1891)
Wikimedia Commons

Lyrics

Carol, child­ren, Christ is here!
[or, Car­ol, Chris­tians]
Carol for this Ba­by dear!
This is man, but God the more;
Sing be­side the sta­ble door!

Refrain

Sing, O child­ren, come and sing!
Praise our Christ, and praise our king!
Gladdest night, most hap­py morn,
Christ our Lord this day is born!

This our king, with­out a crown
In a man­ger is laid down!
Where the maid, with meek­est hands
Wraps Him all in swath­ing bands.

Refrain

Sing our best, both young and old,
Never heart this time be cold!
Never eye of faith be dim!
Come and love and wor­ship Him!

Refrain