Where the youth­ful son of Jes­se
Touched the harp with sil­ver strains,
While the peace­ful flock he tend­ed
Grazed upon the fer­tile plains—
Where he list­ened to the mur­mur
Of the brook­let, soft and low—
Came the bless­èd in­fant Sav­ior,
Many cen­tu­ries long ago.

Refrain

Clap your hands for joy, ye peo­ple,
Clap your hands for joy, ye peo­ple,
Clap your hands, clap your hands,
Hail the ris­ing morn;
Shout ho­san­na, shout ho­san­na,
Clap your hands for joy,
Clap your hands for joy;
Shout ho­san­na, shout ho­san­na,
Shout ho­san­na for a Sav­ior born.

All the world was locked in slum­ber,
Calm and still the dewy night;
Every star in shin­ing ar­mor
Keeping watch on lof­ty height;
Then a sud­den burst of mu­sic!
Thro’ the air it rolled along;
Multitudes of shin­ing an­gels
Woke the earth with heav’n­ly song.

Refrain

Thro’ the line of dist­ant ag­es,
Swifter than the march of time,
Like a river sweep­ing on­ward,
Comes the migh­ty strain sub­lime;
Great Im­ma­nu­el, Prince and Sa­vior!
Pure and spot­less, un­de­filed,
In Thy birth, O King of Glo­ry,
God to man is re­con­ciled.

Refrain