Scripture Verse

A virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23

Introduction

Words: Hon­yel G. Rose­dale (1863–1928). Ap­peared in Ca­rols Old and Ca­rols New, by Charles L. Hut­chins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 714.

Music: George F. Ter­ry (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Rose­dale or Ter­ry (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

All hail, ye mer­ry folk to­day,
All hail, we sing our glad­some lay,
Come list to us as we do say,
Our ca­rol gay.

Refrain

Noel, No­el, we sing No­el,
And this the an­gels came to tell,
For God who do­eth all things well
With man doth dwell.

Begone all gloom, cast grief aside,
May joy with us for aye abide,
What bet­ter deed could us be­tide,
Than death de­fied.

Refrain

Come let us seek the in­fant King,
And hom­age pay, and to Him bring
Our hearts as fit­test of­fer­ing,
And to Him sing.

Refrain

Seek not ye pa­lace rich or grand,
Nor with the great­est men to stand,
But join a low­ly pil­grim band
In Is­ra­el’s land.

Refrain

Lo! there we find Him, great­est, best,
Who in a man­ger deigns to rest,
Who by His life ye world hath blest,
Most wel­come guest.

Refrain

With us your hap­py songs unite,
Within your hearts to dwell, in­vite
The God who do­eth all things right,
Your soul to light.

Refrain