The Ce­dar of Le­ba­non, plant of re­nown,
Hath bowed to the hys­sop his wide spread­ing crown:
The Son of the High­est, an in­fant, is laid
On the breast of His mo­ther, that low­li­est maid.

Refrain

All glo­ry to God in the high­est we sing,
And peace up­on earth through the new­ly born King.

From Star of the Sea the glad sun­light hath shined;
Springs the Li­on of Ju­dah from Naph­ta­li’s hind;
The life from the dy­ing, the rose from the thorn:
The Mak­er of all things of maid­en is born.

Refrain

The man­ger of Beth­le­hem op­ens once more
The gates of that Ed­en where man dwelt of yore,
And He who is ly­ing, a child, in the cave,
Hath con­quered the foe­man, hath ran­somed the slave.

Refrain

In midst of the Gar­den the tree of life stands,
And of­fers His twelve fruits to lips and to hands,
The Lord of Sal­va­tion, the Gen­tiles’ de­sire,
Hath ta’en from the cher­ubs their sword-blade of fire.

Refrain

On hole of the as­pic the suck­ing Child plays,
And His hand on the den of the cocka­trice lays;
The Dra­gon, which ov­er a fall­en world reigned,
By the seed of the wo­man is van­quished and chained.

Refrain

To Him who hath loved us, and sent us His Son,
To Him who the vic­to­ry for us hath won,
To Him who sheds on us His sev­en­fold rays,
Be hon­or and glo­ry, sal­va­tion and praise.

Refrain