Scripture Verse

The shepherds said to one another, Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:15–16

Introduction

portrait
Frederick Oakeley
1802–1880

Words: John F. Wade, cir­ca 1743 (Ades­te fi­del­es). Vers­es 1–3 trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Fred­er­ick Oak­e­ley, 1841.

The vers­es be­gin­ning See how the shep­herds and Child, for us sin­ners were writ­ten in La­tin by Éti­enne-Jean-Fran­çois Bor­der­ies, who heard the hymn in Eng­land, and wrote them af­ter re­turn­ing to France in 1794. These two vers­es, and the one be­gin­ning Lo! star led chief­tains were all trans­late­d to Eng­lish by Will­iam T. Brooke in the Al­tar Hym­nal, 1884 (Col­qu­houn, p. 41).

If this hymn is sung on a day be­sides Christ­mas, the verse be­gin­ning Yea, Lord, we greet Thee can be omit­ted, or sung with sub­sti­tute words such as Born to be our Sav­ior.

Music: Ades­te Fi­de­les at­trib­ut­ed Va­ri­ous­ly to John Wade, John Read­ing, or Mar­co An­ton­io Si­mao (Por­to­gal­lo) (1762–1830) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Wade or Brooke (head-and-shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye,
To Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of angels;

Refrain

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

True God of true God
Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not
The Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father,
Begotten, not created;

Refrain

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens
Of heaven above!
Glory to God, all
Glory in the highest;

Refrain

See how the shepherds,
Summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks,
Draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither
Bend our joyful footsteps;

Refrain

Lo! star led chieftains,
Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him incense,
Gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ Child
Bring our hearts’ oblations.

Refrain

Child, for us sinners
Poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee,
With love and awe;
Who would not love Thee,
Loving us so dearly?

Refrain

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing.

Refrain