Bethlehem, of nob­lest ci­ties
None can once with thee com­pare;
Thou alone the Lord from Hea­ven
Didst for us in­car­nate bear.

Fairer than the sun at morn­ing
Was the star that told His birth;
To the lands their God an­nounc­ing,
Hid be­neath a form of earth.

By its lam­bent beau­ty guid­ed,
See, the east­ern kings ap­pear;
See them bend, their gifts to of­fer—
Gifts of in­cense, gold, and myrrh.

Offerings of mys­tic mean­ing!
Incense doth the God dis­close;
Gold a roy­al child pro­claim­eth;
Myrrh a fu­ture tomb fore­shows.

Holy Je­su! in Thy bright­ness
To the Gen­tile world dis­played!
With the Fa­ther, and the Spir­it,
Endless praise to Thee be paid.