The kings of the east are riding
Tonight to Bethlehem;
The sunset glows dividing,
The kings of the east are riding,
A star their journey guiding,
Gleaming with gold and gem.
The kings of the east are riding
Tonight to Bethlehem.

To a strange sweet harp of Zion
The starry host troops forth:
The golden-glaived Orion
To a strange sweet harp of Zion,
The Archer and the Lion,
The Watcher of the north:
To a strange sweet harp of Zion
The starry host sweeps forth.

There beams above a manger
The child-face of a star;
Amid the stars a stranger,
It beams above a manger,
What means this ether-ranger
To pause where poor folk are?
There beams above a manger
The child-face of a star.

See the brightly shining star,
As its radiance beams afar,
Guide the feet of weary pilgrims
To the place where Jesus lay.
Like a beacon from its height,
Burning brightly in the night,
As the wise men followed onward,
Safely guided all the way.

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Shine on! shine on!
Beautiful star of light;
Shine on! shine on!
Cheering the gloomy night;
Shine on! shine on!
Sending thy rays afar,
Shine on thro’ the darkness,
Oh, thou fairest star.

It is shining still for thee,
With a glory fair to see,
As it leadeth ever upward
To the palace of the King.
So we follow thro’ the night,
Safely guided by its light,
While our hearts respond with gladness
To the song the angels sing.

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So today that star alone
Is the light to lead us on
To the feet of Christ our Savior,
He our Prophet, Priest and King,
As it brightly burns above,
Sentry of the King of love,
While we follow onward, upward
And His praises sweetly sing.

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O wondrous star of Bethlehem!
That in the heavens bright
Shone forth to guide the pilgrims’ feet,
Unto the Prince of Light,
Shine on thro’ endless ages,
While ringing thro’ the sky;
His loyal ones still hear the song:
“Glory to God on high!”

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Shine on, Bethlehem’s star,
Send thy light afar;
Tell of Jesus’ birth
Till His glory fills the earth.

O blessèd star of Bethlehem!
Still gild with heav’nly ray
The pathway to the Holy One
Who comes to us today.
Gleam thro’ the darksome shadows
That fill the heart with fear,
Till weary souls shall see the light,
Knowing that Christ is near.

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O wondrous star of Bethlehem!
Shine on; we too would bring
Our lives a willing sacrifice,
With gladness to the King.
With joy we travel onward,
Encircled by the glow—
The glory of the fadeless Star,
Jesus, whose love we know.

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As with gladness, men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright
So, most glorious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom Heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King!

Gentle Savior, day and night,
Ride three princes great in might,
Over mountain, over plain,
Thee a-seeking, Thee a-seeking,
Over mountain, over plain,
Thee a-seeking, gentle Child.

Gaspar, Melchior, Bálthăzár,
Those three princes from afar,
Gold and myrrh, and incense bear
For an offering, for an offering,
To the sweet and gentle Child,
To the sweet and gentle Child.

Gentle Savior in the cold,
In the dark with gifts of gold,
Those three princes at the door
Stand a-knocking, stand a-knocking,
Thee to worship, gentle Child,
Thee to worship, gentle Child.

Enter princes, from the night!
Here, within, is warmth and light,
Jesus smiles, His hands outspreads
For the offerings, for the offerings,
Praise to Him, the gentle Child,
Praise to Him, the gentle Child.

Joseph, sweep the stable clean,
Strew the straw, though all is mean.
Here the temple, here the throne,
Here the altar, here the altar,
Of our King, this gentle Child,
Of our King, this gentle Child.

Hail, Thou Source of every blessing,
Sovereign Father of mankind!
Gentiles now, Thy grace possessing,
In Thy courts admission find.
Grateful now we fall before Thee,
In Thy Church obtain a place,
Now by faith behold Thy glory,
Praise Thy truth, adore Thy grace.

Once far off, but now invited,
We approach Thy sacred throne;
In Thy covenant united,
Reconciled, redeemed, made one.
Now revealed to Eastern sages,
See the Star of Mercy shine;
Mystery hid in former ages,
Mystery great of love divine.

Hail, Thou all-inviting Savior!
Gentiles now their offerings bring;
In Thy temple seek Thy favor,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and King.
May we, body, soul, and spirit,
Live devoted to Thy praise,
Glorious realms of bliss inherit,
Grateful anthems ever raise!

O chief of cities, Bethlehem,
Of David’s crown the fairest gem,
But more to us than David’s name,
In you, as man, the Savior came.

Beyond the sun in splendor bright,
Above you stands a wondrous light
Proclaiming from the conscious skies
That here, in flesh, the Godhead lies.

The wise men, seeing Him so fair,
Bow low before Him, and with prayer
Their treasured eastern gifts unfold
Of incense, myrrh, and royal gold.

The golden tribute owns Him King,
But frankincense to God they bring,
And last, prophetic sign, with myrrh,
They shadow forth His sepulcher.

O Jesus, whom the Gentiles see,
With Father, Spirit, One in Three:
To You, O God, be glory giv’n
By saints on earth and saints in Heav’n.

All hail, ye little martyr flowers,
Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ye fell as bloom before the wind.

First victims of the martyr bands,
With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Around the very altar, gay
And innocent, ye seem to play.

What profited this great offense?
What use was Herod’s violence?
A Babe survives that dreadful day,
And Christ is safely borne away.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, virgin born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet
To Father and to Paraclete.

Children of Jerusalem
Sang the praise of Jesus’ Name:
Children, too, of modern days
Join to sing the Savior’s praise.

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Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices sing,
Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices sing
Loud hosannas, loud hosannas,
Loud hosannas to our King.

We are taught to love the Lord,
We are taught to read His Word;
We are taught the way to Heav’n:
Praise for all to God be giv’n.

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Parents, teachers, old and young,
All unite to swell the song;
Higher and yet higher rise,
’Til hosannas fill the skies.

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Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Glory to Thee, O Lord,
Who, from this world of sin,
By cruel Herod’s ruthless sword
Those precious ones didst win.

Baptized in their own blood,
Earth’s untried perils o’er,
They passed unconsciously the flood,
And safely gained the shore.

Glory to Thee for all
The ransomed infant band,
Who, since that hour have heard Thy call,
And reached the quiet land.

O that our hearts within,
Like theirs, were pure and bright,
O that as free from stain of sin
We shrank not from Thy sight.

Lord, help us every hour
Thy cleansing grace to claim;
In life to glorify Thy power,
In death to praise Thy Name.

In paradise reposing,
By life’s eternal well,
The tender lambs of Jesus
In greenest pastures dwell.

There palms and tiny crownlets
Aglow with brightest gem,
Bedeck the baby martyrs
Who died in Bethlehem.

With them the rose-wreathed army
Of children undefiled,
Who passed through mortal torments
For love of Christ the Child;

With them in peace unending,
With them in joyous mirth,
Are all the stainless infants
Which since have gone from earth.

The angels, once their guardians,
Their fellows now in grace,
With them, in love adoring,
See God the Father’s face.

The lullaby to hush them
In that eternal rest,
Is sweet angelic singing,
Their nurses mothers blest.

O Jesu, loving Shepherd,
Who tenderly dost bear
Thy lambs in Thine own bosom,
Bring us to join them there.

Little children, rise and sing,
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
’Tis the birthday of our King,
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

In a stable far away
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
Christ was born that happy day,
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

Joyful shepherds kneeling there,
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
Saw the Babe and said in prayer,
‘Blessèd Child of Christmas.’

Bring your gifts to Mary’s Son
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
God’s own Gift to everyone;
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Fair peace on earth to bring,
In lowly state of love He came
To be the children’s King.

And round Him, then, a holy band
Of children blest was born,
Fair guardians of His throne to stand
Attendant night and morn.

And unto them this grace was giv’n
A Savior’s Name to own,
And die for Him who out of Heav’n
Had found on earth a throne.

O blessèd babes of Bethlehem,
Who died to save our King,
Ye share the martyrs’ diadem,
And in their anthem sing!

Your lips, on earth that never spake,
Now sound th’eternal word;
And in the courts of love ye make
Your children’s voices heard.

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Child,
Make Thou our childhood Thine;
That we with Thee the meek and mild
May share the love divine.

Have ye been to Nazareth,
Lowly, yet so fair?
Yes, we sought His humble town,
Found our Master there!
Did He dwell in palace fair,
Holding kingly sway?
Nay, we found a Carpenter,
Toiling day by day!

Refrain

In life’s Nazareth we seek,
Christ, the Master meek,
In our toil from day to day,
Find our Lord for aye!

Did ye find at Nazareth,
Christ the Son of God?
Yea, He was the Son of Man,
Earthly paths He trod.
Did ye find a blessing there
Ever to abide?
Yea, by Him the toilsome tasks
E’er are glorified.

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Is there light from Nazareth,
Daily life to crown?
Yes, the glory streams afar,
Distant years adown.
Will the Lord of Nazareth,
Friend and Comrade be?
All unseen He dwells with us,
As in Galilee!

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