It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear

That glorious song of old

From angels bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold:

"Peace on the earth, good will to men

From heaven's all-gracious King."

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing!

Yet with the woes of sin and strife

The world has suffered long

Beneath the angel strain have rolled

Two thousand years of wrong

And man, at war with man, hears not

The love song which they bring:

"O hush the noise, ye men of strife

And hear the angels sing!"

Still through the cloven skies they come

With peaceful wings unfurled

And still their heavenly music floats

Over all the weary world

Above its sad and lowly plains

They bend on hovering wing

And ever over its Babel sounds

The blessed angels sing

All ye, beneath life's crushing load

Whose forms are bending low

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow

Look, now, for glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing

O rest beside the weary road

And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on

By prophet bards foretold

When with the ever-circling years

Comes 'round the age of gold

When peace shall over all the earth

Its ancient splendors fling

And the whole world give back the song

Which now the angels sing!