Scripture Verse

God…hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:18

Introduction

Words: Cy­ri­a­cus Schnee­gass, pro­ba­bly first pub­lished in Wei­he­nacht und New Jahrs-Ge­säng (Er­furt, Ger­ma­ny: 1595) (Das neu­ge­bor­ne Kin­de­lein). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Eman­u­el Cron­en­wett in the Ev­an­gel­i­cal Lu­ther­an Hym­nal (Co­lum­bus, Ohio: Ohio Sy­no­di­cal Print­ing House, 1880), num­ber 46.

Music: Al­stone Chris­to­pher E. Will­ing, in the ap­pen­dix to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Emanuel Cronenwett
1841–1931

Lyrics

The new-born Child this early morn,
The dear Christ-child of virgin born,
Again brings from His heav’nly home
A New Year to all Christendom.

This causes joy to angels fair,
Who love to keep us in their care;
They sing that in this wondrous Child
God now with man is reconciled.

If God be reconciled with men,
What harm can Satan do us then?
O’er Satan, death, and gates of hell,
This Christ-child shall for us prevail.

He brings the year of jubilee!
Why doubt we yet despondently?
Cheer up! This is a joyous day,
The Christ-child drives all care away.