Star of the east! whose bea­con light
A gleam on Beth­le­hem threw,
And thi­ther by that won­drous sight
Arabia’s sag­es drew,
Arabia’s sag­es drew;
On thee in thought we love to gaze
In west­ern climes afar,
And think on thy mys­te­ri­ous rays,
Thou love­ly east­ern star.

Fair is the star of eve that sheds
Her light be­tok­en­ing rest;
And fair the morn­ing star that leads
The day in glo­ry dressed,
The day in glo­ry dressed;
But still more fair thy form arose,
And love­li­er to behold,
Which of a more se­rene re­pose
A bright­er glo­ry told.

Hail thou, whose sil­ve­ry ra­di­ance led
Those Ma­gian chiefs to bring
Their choic­est gifts, in wor­ship spread
Before Judea’s king,
Before Judea’s king;
That glo­ri­ous Sun, whose harbinger
Thy light was made to shine,
And like the pillared flame to bear
Aloft sal­va­tion’s sign!

Hail thou appointed to adorn
The rising King of Heav’n,
The promised Child to Judah born,
The Son to Israel giv’n,
The Son to Israel giv’n;
In whom the peaceful empire sealed
Should more and more increase;
In Him, the mighty God revealed,
In Him, the Prince of Peace!

So on thy beacon light we gaze
In western climes afar,
And note thy Heav’n directed rays,
Thou lovely eastern star,
Thou lovely eastern star;
With praise to Him, who in the sky
Thy wondrous cresset hung,
Prompt to inform the’observing eye,
Apart from speech or tongue.

Him who permits to all to see
The light their stations need;
Who chose the star versèd sage by thee,
Star of the east, to lead,
Star of the east, to lead;
Who made by shepherd swains at night
The angel’s voice be heard;
And gives to us His Scriptures’ light,
His own recording word.