Scripture Verse

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? Matthew 2:1

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, 16th Cen­tu­ry. Pub­lished in Car­mi­na for the Sun­day School, by Lew­is W. Mudge & Her­bert B. Tur­ner (New York: A. S. Barnes, 1894), num­ber 64.

Music: Ep­ipha­ny (Smith) Ro­bert F. Smith (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

There came three kings, ere break of day,
All on Epi­pha­ny;
Their gifts they bare, both rich and rare,
All, all, Lord Christ, for Thee;
Gold, frank­in­cense, and myrrh are there,
Where is the King? O where? O where?
O where is the King? O where?

The star shone bright­ly ov­er­head,
The air was calm and still,
O’er Beth­le­hem’s fields its rays were shed,
The dew lay on the hill;
We see no throne, no pal­ace fair,
Where is the King? O where? O where?
O where is the King? O where?

An old man knelt at a man­ger low,
A babe lay in the stall;
The star­light played on the In­fant brow,
Deep si­lence lay o’er all;
A maid­en bent o’er the Babe in pray­er,
There is the King! O there! O there!
O there is the King! O there!