How Vain the Cruel Herod’s Fear

How vain the cru­el Her­od’s fear

When told that Christ the King is near!

He takes not earth­ly realms away

Who gives the realms that ne’er de­cay.

The East­ern sag­es saw from far

And fol­lowed on His guid­ing star;

By light their way to Light they trod

And by their gifts con­fessed their God.

Within the Jor­dan’s sac­red flood

The heav’n­ly Lamb in meek­ness stood

That He to whom no sin was known

Might cleanse His peo­ple from their own.

And oh

what mi­ra­cle di­vine

When wa­ter red­dened in­to wine!

He spake the word

and forth it flowed

In streams that na­ture ne’er be­stowed.

All glo­ry

Je­su

be to Thee

For this Thy glad Epi­pha­ny:

Whom with the Fa­ther we ad­ore

And Ho­ly Ghost for­ev­er­more.