Scripture Verse

Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Introduction

Words: Lan­ta W. Smith, 1883. Ap­peared in Jew­els of Praise, edited by Asa Hull (New York: Da­ni­el W. Knowles, 1884), page 149.

Music: Asa Hull (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Smith (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Hull

portrait
Asa Hull (1828–1907)

Lyrics

illustration

Ring with joy and glad­ness
The merry Christ­mas bell;
Let its tune­ful ec­ho
The sac­red sto­ry tell!
How the lone­ly shep­herds,
Upon the hills at night,
Heard the an­gel mes­sage,
And saw the ho­ly light.
Ring, O ring with glad­ness,
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
For we love the sto­ry
Thy joy­ous mu­sic tells!

Refrain

Ring, O ring with glad­ness,
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
Ring, O ring, with glad­ness,
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
Christmas bells! Christmas bells!

Ring the bells with glad­ness,
But ring them soft­ly now;
See the won­der­ing Ma­gi
Before the man­ger bow;
Where the King of Glory,
The Day­spring from the skies,
Christ, the bless­èd Sav­ior,
A help­less in­fant lies.
Ring, O ring with glad­ness,
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
For we love the sto­ry
Thy joy­ous mu­sic tells!

Refrain

Ring the bells with glad­ness,
For Je­sus came to save;
He for guil­ty sin­ners
The ran­som free­ly gave;
On this mer­ry Christ­mas,
While joy­ful­ly we sing;
As a hum­ble trib­ute,
Our hearts to Him we bring.
Ring, O ring with glad­ness,
Ye mer­ry Christ­mas bells!
For we love the sto­ry
Thy joy­ous mu­sic tells!

 

Refrain