Upon Ju­dea’s mid­night plains
The shep­herds watched of old;
When lo! from Hea­ven, se­raph­ic strains
Of joy and tri­umph rolled.

Now dawns the bliss­ful ad­vent morn,
With lov­ing voice they sing.
Today, to all man­kind, is born
A Sav­ior and a king.

Still, still, ’tis ours the hymn to hear
That swept o’er Is­ra­el’s plain.
Loud swells the an­them—sphere to sphere
In joy re­peats the strain.

Where’er Thy Spir­it, Lord, is shrined,
The in­ward Christ is born;
The an­gel strains in heart and mind
Proclaim the ad­vent morn.