The Worcester Christmas Carol

How grand and how bright

That won­der­ful night

When an­gels to Beth­le­hem came!

They burst forth like fires

They struck their gold lyres

And min­gled their song with the flame.

The shep­herds were mazed

The pret­ty lambs gazed

At dark­ness thus turned in­to light:

No voice was there heard

From man

beast or bird

So sud­den and so­lemn the sight.

And then

when the sound re­ech­oed around

The hills and the dales all awoke:

The moon and the stars

Stopped their fie­ry cars

And list­ened while Ga­bri­el spoke:

I bring you

said he

From the glo­ri­ous Three

Good tid­ings to glad­den man­kind;

The Sav­ior is born

But He lies for­lorn

In a man­ger

as soon you will find.

At men­tion of this

(The source of all bliss)

The an­gels sang loud­ly and long;

They soared to the sky

Beyond mor­tal eye

But left us the words of their song:

All glo­ry to God

Who laid by His rod

To smile on the world through His Son:

And peace be on earth

For this won­der­ful birth

Wonderful con­quests has won;

And good will to man

Though his life’s a span

And his thoughts so ev­il and wrong;

Then pray

Christ­ians

pray;

But let Christ­mas day

Have your sweet­est and ho­li­est song.