The great world was wea­ry and turned from the light;
The sin­ful were tired of sin­ning and slept;
But shep­herds abode with their flocks by night,
And in the same coun­try their faith­ful watch kept.

No wel­come for stran­gers, for ba­by no room,
Save one lit­tle manger up­on the cold ground,
As Ma­ry and Jo­seph drew nigh through the gloom,
And in the same coun­try a rest­ing place found.

Above the dark hill­tops there shone a bright star,
As Beth­le­hem woke to its first Christ­mas morn;
And songs of great joy filled the hea­vens afar,
For in the same coun­try child Je­sus was born.

O hearts that are hea­vy, O sad and for­lorn,
O poor feet that fal­ter and halt by the way,
Rejoice! Un­to man­kind a Sav­ior is born—
This is the same coun­try, ’tis Christ­mas to­day.