Children, sing a Christ­mas car­ol;
Sing how shin­ing angels came,
Once in glo­ri­ous white ap­par­el,
Jesus’ com­ing to pro­claim;
How the dist­ant hills re­sound­ed,
Echoing back th’an­gel­ic song!
How the shep­herds were as­tound­ed,
As the mu­sic rolled along!

Ah! no more the low­ly man­ger
Pillows that dear sac­red head;
Beams no more that star­ry stra­nger
That the east­ern sag­es led;
But we’ll tell the pleas­ing sto­ry
To the ag­èd and the young,
And we’ll sing that Glory! Glory!
That the her­ald an­gels sung.

Tho’ no sud­den light burst o’er us,
Such as shone on Beth­le­hem’s plain,
We can join the heav­en­ly chor­us,
Peace on earth, good-will to men;
Sing we then the glad ho­san­na,
Sing of Him who reigns ab­ove;
Praise to Je­sus for His ban­ner
O’er the child­ren waves in love.