Oh Realm of Light

Oh realm of light! whose morn­ing star

To Beth­le­hem’s man­ger led the way

Not yet up­on our long­ing eyes

Shines the full splen­dor of thy day:

Yet still across the cen­tu­ries fall

Both strong and sweet

our Lord’s com­mand;

And still with stead­fast faith we cry

Behold

the king­dom is at hand!

Oh realm of Heav’n! whose dawn be­gan

With love’s di­vine

in­car­nate breath

Our hearts were slow to un­der­stand

The les­sons of that life and death:

Yet though with stam­mer­ing tongues we tell

Redemption’s sto­ry

strange and sweet

The world’s Re­deem­er

lift­ed up

Shall draw the na­tions to His feet.

Oh realm of peace! whose mu­sic clear

Swept through Ju­dea’s star­lit skies

Still the harsh sounds of hu­man strife

Break on thy heav­en­ly har­mo­nies;

Yet shall thy song of tri­umph ring

In full ac­cord

from land to land

And men with an­gels learn to sing

Behold

the king­dom is at hand!