A star ap­peared, and peace­ful threw
Around its ho­ly ray;
It caught the faith­ful Ma­gi’s view,
And led the won­drous way,
From far famed Per­sia’s smil­ing bow­ers,
Fair land of beau­ty, fruits and flow­ers.

Each heart through­out the gaz­ing throng
What an­xious glad­ness fills,
While slow­ly moved that star along
O’er Ju­dah’s sac­red hills,
And soft­ly fixed its mel­low light
On dist­ant Beth­le­hem’s joy­ful night!

There, unk­nown to the rich and great,
Or per­fumed halls of state,
Where shin­ing gold­en lamps so bright
Scoff at the si­lent night,
Hear mu­sic’s notes, so ho­ly, sweet,
They rise and fall ’mid joy com­plete.

The Prince of Peace, so young, so fair,
In low­ly state He slept;
While near, with kind pa­rent­al care,
The mo­ther’s watch was kept.
Let sweet­est harp of Ju­dah rise,
And Gen­tile hymns climb to the skies!