I’ll tell you a tale of the old­en time,
While the yule log burns bright,
And the church bells chime.
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.
There sat a fair prin­cess
In joy on her throne,
And there in her arms
Her in­fant was shown:
Gloria in ex­cel­sis,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.

The beasts of the mea­dows
Bowed down their head
All un­der the moon­light
So soft­ly shed.
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.
They wor­shiped the King
Of cre­ation there
In the arms of the mo­ther
So pass­ing fair.
Gloria in ex­cel­sis,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.

O who are these mas­ters
Of an­cient mould?
O these are the shep­herds,
The lords of the fold;
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.
They have heard from the sky
Of the birth of their king,
They have heard all the sky
With the har­mo­ny ring.
Gloria in ex­cel­sis,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.

The kings of the east
In num­ber three,
All wor­ship the Mo­narch
Of high de­gree;
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.
Their trib­ute they of­fer,
Their heads they bow,
And clear­er and clear­er
Is ec­ho­ing now,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.

For all the ze­nith
Is blaz­ing with light,
And mu­sic­al voices
Enrapture the night:
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.
O this is the car­ol
Of peace and good­will
From the voic­es ce­les­ti­al,
The ze­nith that fill;
Gloria in ex­cel­sis,
Gloria in ex­cel­sis
Gloria in ex­cel­sis Deo.