Children, lo, the days are here
Of the joy­ous Christ­mas cheer!
Listen, how each sweet chime swells
From the swift­ly clash­ing bells;
Bells that peal along the morn
Of the day when Christ was born.
He, the Life, the Truth, the Way,
Once in Beth­le­hem’s man­ger lay.
Near the herds­men and their kine—
He, the heav’n­ly, the di­vine;
Showing that the low­li­est heart
May with Him have lot and part.

Guided by His sac­red star,
Came the wise men from afar;
Royal gifts their hands un­fold,
Myrrh and frank­in­cense and gold;
Glorious grew that sta­ble dim,
When they knelt and wor­shipped Him.
While your hearts are filled with love,
This di­vin­est tale above,
There are some in lone­ly ways,
In these hap­py Christ­mas days,
Earthly sha­dows round them fall,
Yet the Fa­ther loves them all.

Tell them in your sweet­est song
To the Fa­ther you be­long;
Love is wait­ing at your door,
Waiting now and ev­er­more;
Still for you the star doth glow,
Flaming ov­er night and snow.
In the beau­ty of its ray
Clouds and dark­ness flee away;
Love and joy are in its light,
Fadeless, death­less, ev­er bright;
Let no fear your hearts ap­pall;
God, the Fa­ther, lov­eth all.