O Christmas Night!

O Christ­mas night! Day’s light trans­cend­ing

Who no be­gin­ning had or end

Till He a man be­came

was God.

Then He who ne’er be­fore was hu­man

Was born in Beth­le­hem of wo­man

When nips the frost the ver­dant sod.

This rich­est Babe comes poor in be­ing

More pearled with­in than to the see­ing

With dia­dem and roy­al pow­er;

He takes no heed of great­er plac­es

But that small spot alone em­brac­es

Where light il­lumes the mid­night hour.

This Prince

do they de­sire to find Him?

They’re worn out swad­dling clothes that bind Him.

A man­ger

spread with hay’s His bed.

His throne is high­er than the high­est

Yet He among the cat­tle li­eth;

What Him to such a lot has led?

Now seeks He God with chaste af­fect­ion

Who takes be­fore such crib di­rect­ion

Are bet­ter than this Beth­le­hem

Which Christ no rest­ing place shall give;

For they

the af­ter life

shall live

With Him

in Je­ru­sa­lem.