Calm on the list­en­ing ear of night
Come Heav’n’s me­lo­di­ous strains,
Where wild Ju­dea stretch­es forth
Her sil­ver man­tled plains.
Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sac­red glo­ries there,
And an­gels, with their spark­ling lyres,
Make mu­sic on the air.

The an­swer­ing hills of Pal­es­tine
Send back the glad re­ply;
And greet, from all their ho­ly heights,
The Day-Spring from on high.
O’er the blue depths of Ga­li­lee
There comes a ho­li­er calm,
And Shar­on waves, in so­lemn praise,
Her sil­ent groves of palm.

Glory to God! the lof­ty strain
The realm of eth­er fills;
How sweeps the song of so­lemn joy
O’er Ju­dah’s sac­red hills!
Glory to God! the sound­ing skies
Loud with their an­thems ring,
Peace to the earth; good will to men,
From Heav’n’s eter­nal king!

Light on thy hills, Je­ru­sa­lem!
The Sav­ior now is born,
And bright on Beth­l’hem’s joyous plains
Breaks the first Christ­mas morn.
And brightly on Mo­ri­ah’s brow
Crowned with her tem­ple spires,
Which first pro­claim the new­born light,
Clothed with its ori­ent fires.

This day shall Chris­tian tongues be mute,
And Chris­tian hearts be cold?
Oh, catch the an­them that from Heav’n
O’er Ju­dah’s mount­ains rolled.
When burst upon that list­en­ing night
The high and so­lemn lay:
Glory to God, on earth be peace,
Salvation comes to­day!