IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

LYRICS

It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious sound of old,
from Angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.
“Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the Angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavn’ly music floats o’er all the weary world.
Above it’s sad and lowly plains, they bend on havering wing
and ever o’er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long:
beneath the angel train have rolled two thousand years of wrong.
And man at war with man hears not the love song that they bring,
Oh hush the noise, O ye of strife, and hear the angels sing.

For lo! The days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
when with the ever circling years shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.