Linked in the bond of peace
Let all with sac­red mirth
Lift up one song of praise and love,
While pon­der­ing Je­su’s birth.

From age to age this day
Hath blest un­num­bered hearts;
And still its light shall wake fresh hope,
Till all we mourn de­parts.

Our fa­thers hailed its dawn
With praise to God above;
And some re­called the Babe di­vine,
Till burnt once more their love.

And love, re­kin­dled thus,
Was fraught with good pro­found;
The fest­al day knit heart to heart,
And spread pure joys around.

Alas! too oft ’twas stained
With ev­ils, and is still!
But O! let us hold fast the good
And hate and shun the ill.

Let all to­day be peace,
And love, and ho­ly joy;
And earth’s sad needs by kind­ly deeds
To abate, our best em­ploy.