O lit­tle town of Beth­le­hem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dream­less sleep
The si­lent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shin­eth
The ev­er­last­ing Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to­night.

For Christ is born of Ma­ry,
And ga­thered all above,
While mor­tals sleep, the an­gels keep
Their watch of won­der­ing love.
O morn­ing stars to­ge­ther,
Proclaim the ho­ly birth,
And prais­es sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth!

How si­lent­ly, how si­lent­ly,
The won­drous Gift is giv’n;
So God im­parts to hu­man hearts
The bless­ings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His com­ing,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will re­ceive Him still,
The dear Christ en­ters in.

Where child­ren pure and hap­py
Pray to the bless­èd Child,
Where mi­se­ry cries out to Thee,
Son of the mo­ther mild;
Where cha­ri­ty stands watch­ing
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glo­ry breaks,
And Christ­mas comes once more.

O ho­ly Child of Beth­le­hem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and en­ter in,
Be born in us to­day.
We hear the Christ­mas an­gels
The great glad tid­ings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Em­ma­nu­el!