Scripture Verse

The angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.Luke 2:10

Introduction

Words: Jo­hann F. Ranke, Geist­liche und welt­liche Lied­er (Leip­zig & Bielefeld, Ger­ma­ny: Vel­ha­gen & Klas­ing, 1869), num­ber 10 (Heil’ge Weih­nacht, Fest der Kind­er). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Fred­er­ick W. Herz­berg­er in The Christ­mas Song Book, com­piled by Ad­olf T. Hans­er (Buf­fa­lo, New York: Dahl­ke Pub­lish­ing, 1918), num­ber 22.

Music: Jo­hann F. Ranke, 1869 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Ranke or Herz­ber­ger (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Christmas! O how sweet and ho­ly
Rings thy mes­sage gent­ly mild,
For all men, both old and child.
Now re­joice in Him, who low­ly,
Came to earth from Heav­en’s throne,
Mary’s child and God’s own Son.

Refrain

Jesus, Je­sus, Thou shalt be
Christmas gift and joy to me.

Wondrous light shines down from Heav­en,
Angels stir the she­pherds’ rest
With a mes­sage, great and blest,
How at last to us is giv­en
He, whom God pro­claimed of old,
Christ the Lord we now be­hold.

Refrain

Peace shall reign and bless each na­tion,
Glory be to God on high,
Mercy and good will come nigh,
Now on earth, to bring sal­va­tion
Unto men from Heav’n ab­ove,
By that won­drous deed of love.

Refrain