Scripture Verse

The star…stood over where the young Child was. Matthew 2:9

Introduction

portrait
William Gardiner (1770–1853)
British Museum
cc-license

Words: Ro­bert T. S. Low­ell, The Po­ems of Ro­bert Low­ell (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: E. P. Dut­ton, 1864), page 35.

Music: Bel­mont Sac­red Me­lo­dies, by Will­iam Gar­di­ner, 1812 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Low­ell (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

The first time that the skies grew bright,
When Hea­ven lay op­en wide,
And an­gels gleamed adown the night
Of one still coun­try­side;

’Twas when the al­mighty Heir of all
Came forth, a help­less child,
Amid the dark­ness of a stall,
And through our na­ture smiled.

Far down in Be­ing, but for­got
By none who watched afar.
Above the low­ly, hid­den spot
Was buoyed one float­ing star.

Then an­gels, up the heights of sky,
Flashed glo­ry with their shout,
And o’er the wide earth sleep­ing nigh,
Fell words of peace about.