I heard the bells, they seemed to say,
We ring! Ring! Ring!
We’re pealing out a cheer­ful lay,
We ring! Ring! Ring!
Re-echo what the ang­els say,
To tell how on that bless­èd day,
In Da­vid’s ci­ty far away,
Was born the King.

Refrain

The glad bells ring, their voic­es tell
To na­tions far and wide,
Of hap­py Christ­mas­tide.
The glad bells ring, the tid­ings swell,
They ring! They ring! They ring!

One bell pro­claimed, I ring aloud,
And tell! Tell! Tell!
The news to na­tions of the earth,
And swell! Swell! Swell!
That Mary’s ho­ly child is Lord,
To all the earth, the sun of God,
Foretold with­in the ho­ly word—
Emanuel.

Refrain

Another rang in ac­cents clear,
I bring! Bring! Bring!
To send the ech­oes far and near,
I sing! Sing! Sing!
Good news to all, O do not fear,
For Christ the pro­mised One is here,
The down­cast hearts of men to cheer—
His prais­es sing.

Refrain

Then all the bells that Christ­mas day,
To tell! Tell! Tell!
In tones of per­fect har­mo­ny
Rang loud and clear,
And from the stee­ples old and gray,
In cho­rus grand they seemed to say,
We hail the new­born King this day,
The Christ is here.

Refrain