Now join we all with holy mirth,
To celebrate the Sav­ior’s birth,
For He has come from Heav’n to earth,
In humble guise and lowly.
The heav’ns the brightest planet lent,
That e’er had graced the firmament,
And wise men from the east were sent
To greet this Babe so holy.

And from the heavens all around,
Broke forth such strange, celestial sound,
Th’entrancèd shepherds on the ground
Stand spellbound, inly dreaming;
If such divine, melodious hymn,
Of cherubim and seraphim,
These harmonies that round them swim,
Are real, or only seeming.

Fear not, O shepherds! naught but bliss
Can come of heav’nly song like this;
The angel’s gracious message is
With sweetest accents blended:
“All glo­ry be to God on high!
And peace on earth, for which a sigh
Hath long been raised, e’en now is nigh,
Emmanuel hath descended.

For unto you this Child is born,
His swaddling clothes hold not in scorn,
Nor virgin mother, so forlorn,
His nature He is veiling;
The Wonderful—the Counselor,
The mighty God Himself is there,
Has come your deepest woes to share—
A Sav­ior, all availing!

Then with the shepherds we will go—
Come, young and old, come, high and low,
We’ll troop to Bethlehem, and so
Low bending each confessing,
We’ll cast away our nature’s sin,
For pardon, grace we’ve come to win,
We knock, O Je­sus! take us in,
Into Thy fold we’re pressing.