Scripture Verse

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

Introduction

portrait
Thomas Kelly (1769–1855)

Words: Tho­mas Kel­ly, Hymns Not Be­fore Publ­ished (Dub­lin: Tho­mas John­ston, 1815), num­ber 1.

Music: Co­ro­nae Will­iam H. Monk, 1871 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
William Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

Christ is born, go tell the sto­ry,
Tell the na­tions of His birth:
Tell them that the Lord of glo­ry
Comes from Heav’n to dwell on earth:
Let the tid­ings
Fill the world with sac­red mirth.

See, He lies in yon­der man­ger:
Prince of Life His ti­tle is,
Midst His own, and yet a stran­ger,
All things seen and un­seen His.
Yet ne­glect­ed:
Wonder, O ye heav’ns, at this.

See ful­filled, pro­phet­ic vi­sion,
Unto us a child is born;
Though an ob­ject of de­ri­sion,
Though the theme of hu­man scorn:
Yet His peo­ple
Hail His birth, and cease to mourn.

Hail Em­ma­nu­el, child of pro­mise,
Lord of all, in hum­ble guise;
Long de­tained, and ab­sent from us,
Come at length to bless our eyes:
Hail Em­ma­nu­el!
God the Sav­ior, on­ly wise!