Down from the skies bend­ing low o’er the man­ger,
White robed ce­les­ti­als ador­ing­ly throng;
Hark! for they her­ald a hea­ven­ly stran­ger;
Hasten, ye mor­tals, to join in their song.

Refrain

Little child­ren lisp His grace,
Youthful voic­es sound His praise;
Men and ang­els raise your loud ho­san­nas to His name;
Oceans with your full­ness roar,
Earth re­sound from shore to shore,
Hallelujah to the Lamb.

Hail Him, ye shep­herds, adore Him, ye sages,
Ho! wait­ing Is­ra­el still faith­ful, though few;
Gentiles, Oh list to the voice of the ag­es,
Lo! a de­liv’rer is com­ing to you.

Refrain

Dark is the path­way be­fore Him and drea­ry,
Onward it leads to the cross and the grave;
Cheerful He treads it though faint­ing and wea­ry,
Thus, on­ly thus, He His loved ones can save.

Refrain

Weep not, O strick­en ones, when shall en­fold Him
All the deep dark­ness of Cal­va­ry’s gloom;
Soon, soon your tear blind­ed eyes shall be­hold Him,
Walking a God from the gates of the tomb.

Refrain