Scripture Verse

There were…shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

Introduction

Words: J. F. War­ner, 1849. Pub­lished in The De­vo­tion­al Har­mo­nist, ed­it­ed by Charles Ding­ley (New York: George Lane & Le­vi Scott, 1851), page 373.

Music: Asa Hull, Hap­py Greet­ings (New York: Asa Hull, 1888), page 150 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know War­ner’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Asa Hull (1828–1907)

Lyrics

Silent night! hal­lowed night!
Land and deep si­lent sleep.
Softly glit­ters bright Beth­le­hem’s star,
Beckoning Is­ra­el’s eye from afar,
Where the Sav­ior is born,
Where the Sav­ior is born.

Silent night! hal­lowed night!
On the plain wakes the strain,
Sung by hea­ven­ly har­bin­gers bright,
Filled with tid­ings of bound­less de­light,
Jesus, the Sav­ior has come,
Jesus, the Sav­ior has come.

Silent night! hal­lowed night!
Earth awake, si­lence break.
High your chor­us of me­lo­dy raise;
Sing to Hea­ven in an­thems of praise,
Peace for­ev­er shall reign,
Peace for­ev­er shall reign.