Scripture Verse

The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. Matthew 2:9

Introduction

Words: Charles W. Ray, 1893.

Music: George Bea­ver­son (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

How still was the night
While the shep­herds were dream­ing;
How bright was the star
O’er the moun­tain tops gleam­ing,
While all the glad hea­vens
Were smil­ing, and seem­ing
To wait for the long pro­mised king.
But lo! what an hour
When the Sav­ior de­scend­ed,
And realms of bright glo­ry
To earth seemed ex­tend­ed,
And when to the low­ly by Je­sus be­friend­ed,
The an­gels good tid­ings would bring.
O beau­ti­ful, beau­ti­ful, beau­ti­ful Star,
In ra­di­ant splen­dor it shone from afar,
Its beau­ty ex­ceed­ing the love­li­est gem,
While guid­ing the pil­grims to Beth­le­hem.

How hushed was the world
While the Day­star was near­ing,
How blest was the dawn
Of His pro­mised ap­pear­ing,
While watch­ers long wait­ing,
The pro­phets re­ver­ing,
With an­gels made wel­come the morn.
The won­der­ful star
So long sought thro’ the ag­es,
Is seen from afar by the won­der­ing sag­es,
And joy up­on earth in its beau­ty presa­ges,
And tells that the Sav­ior is born.
O beau­ti­ful, beau­ti­ful, beau­ti­ful Star,
In ra­di­ant splen­dor it shone from afar,
Its beau­ty ex­ceed­ing the love­li­est gem,
While guid­ing the pil­grims to Beth­le­hem.

O won­der­ful star
The ho­ri­zon adorn­ing,
Bright he­rald of peace,
To the world a glad warn­ing;
Proclaiming as near
On that beau­ti­ful mor­ning,
The Prince and Re­deem­er of men.
O won­de­rful star,
Which the dark­ness con­found­ed!
O won­der­ful Child
By the shep­herds sur­round­ed,
O won­de­rful song
Which in prais­es re­sound­ed
O’er moun­tain, and val­ley, and glen.
O won­der­ful Child,
And most won­der­ful birth,
The Prince of the skies
Is the joy of the earth;
The Son of the High­est, a Sav­ior is given,
The Light of the world
And the joy of Hea­ven!