Oh, list and hear thro’ circ­ling years
The beau­te­ous strains of old,
Come steal­ing thro’ the dist­ant winds
On harps of pur­est gold;
The earth lay closed in si­lent sleep
When lo, a new­born king
Appeared to wise men long fore­told,
And hark! the an­gels sing.

Refrain

Sweet and love­ly is the strain,
Joyful is the sto­ry,
Peace on earth, the pure re­frain,
Unto God the glo­ry.

Oh, list and hear how sweet it sounds
With hap­py notes to­day,
The Christ­mas story’s ev­er new,
And rap­ture’s in the lay;
O bless­èd strains, still sound them out
Till Hea­ven’s arch­es ring;
The Sav­ior reigns, ex­alt­ed high,
And hark! the child­ren sing.

Refrain