Calm on the Listening Ear of Night

Calm on the list­en­ing ear of night

Come Heav’n’s me­lo­di­ous strains

Where wild Ju­dea stretch­es forth

Her sil­ver man­tled plains.

Celestial choirs from courts ab­ove

Shed sac­red glo­ries there

And an­gels

with their spark­ling lyres

Make mu­sic on the air.

The an­swer­ing hills of Pal­es­tine

Send back the glad re­ply;

And greet

from all their ho­ly heights

The Day-Spring from on high.

O’er the blue depths of Ga­li­lee

There comes a ho­li­er calm

And Shar­on waves

in so­lemn praise

Her sil­ent groves of palm.

Glory to God! the lof­ty strain

The realm of eth­er fills;

How sweeps the song of so­lemn joy

O’er Ju­dah’s sac­red hills!

Glory to God! the sound­ing skies

Loud with their an­thems ring

Peace to the earth; good will to men

From Heav’n’s eter­nal king!

Light on thy hills

Je­ru­sa­lem!

The Sav­ior now is born

And bright on Beth­l’hem’s joy­ous plains

Breaks the first Christ­mas morn.

And bright­ly on Mo­ri­ah’s brow

Crowned with her tem­ple spires

Which first pro­claim the new­born light

Clothed with its ori­ent fires.

This day shall Christ­ian tongues be mute

And Christ­ian hearts be cold?

Oh

catch the an­them that from Heav’n

O’er Ju­dah’s mount­ains rolled.

When burst up­on that list­en­ing night

The high and so­lemn lay:

Glory to God

on earth be peace

Salvation comes to­day!