Scripture Verse

I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10

Introduction

Words: Na­hum Tate, Sup­ple­ment to the New Ver­sion of the Psalms of Da­vid, 1702, page 801 (orig­in­al­ly, While Shep­herds Watched Their Flocks by Night).

Music: Cad­do Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, in Fresh Lau­rels (New York: Big­low & Main, 1867) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
William B. Bradbury (1816–1868)

Lyrics

illustration
Annunciation to the Shepherds
Jules Bastien-Lepage
1848–1884

On Ju­dah’s plains as shep­herds kept,
Watch o’er their flocks by night,
The an­gel of the Lord ap­peared,
Clad in ce­les­ti­al light.

Awe struck the vi­sion they regard,
Appalled with trem­bling fear;
When thus a che­rub voice di­vine
Breathed sweet­ly on their ear.

“Shepherds of Ju­dah! cease your fears,
And calm your trou­bled mind;
Glad tid­ings of great joy I bring
To you and all man­kind.

“This day al­migh­ty Love ful­fills
Its great eter­nal Word;
This day is born in Beth­le­hem
A Sav­ior, Christ the Lord.

There shall you find the heav­en­ly Babe
In hum­blest weeds ar­rayed;
All meanl­y wrapped in swad­dling clothes
And in a man­ger laid.

He ceased, and sud­den all around
Appeared a ra­di­ant throng
Of angels, prais­ing God, and thus
Warbling their cho­ral song.

Glory to God, from whom on high
All gra­cious mer­cies flow!
Who sends His Heav’n des­cend­ed Peace
To dwell with man below.