Scripture Verse

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Introduction

Words: Will­iam H. Rud­di­man, 1879.

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
William J. Kirkpatrick
(1838–1921)

Lyrics

Welcome to the mer­ry, mer­ry Christ­mas time,
Gladsome with me­lo­di­ous flow;
Sending out the mu­sic of its hopes sub­lime,
Charming all the earth below.
Day of Heav’n’s im­part­ed peace,
May we feel thy joys di­vine in­crease;
Catching still the beams of that clear morn
When our in­fant Lord was born.

Refrain

Golden bells, chime on, chime on,
Chime with tune­ful ring!
Ring! ring! bring! bring!
Greetings to our Sav­ior King!

Welcome to the mer­ry, mer­ry Christ­mas time,
Teeming with good­will to man,
Sweet as with the od­ors of an Ed­en clime,
Chief in God’s re­deem­ing plan.
Man’s sal­va­tion is thy cheer,
Thou hast ban­ished sin’s en­slav­ing fear,
Scattering the gloom be­neath thy ray,
From the Sav­ior’s na­tal day.

Refrain

Happy be our greet­ings to the Christ­mas time,
Brighter than with Beth­le­hem’s star,
O’er the world re­joic­ing sounds its rich­est chime,
Now its splen­dors blaze afar;
See the dead come forth to life,
And the reign of love o’er-mas­ter strife;
Glory in the high­est be the song
Unto God from ev­ery tongue.

Refrain