Ere yet the day star had appeared
To shed its light on earth
Angelic spirits bowed in awe
To great Emmanuel's birth.
Thine only Son, O God most high
From Ageless past revealed,
By king and prophet long foretold
Prefigured type concealed.
All wearied people longed to gaze
Upon Thy beauteous Face.
So too, angelic hosts desired
The flower of Adam's race.
And now exultant spirits still
Proclaim in rapturous strain
The wondrous message of that night
Heard once o're Bethlehem's plain.
May they now bring the precious gift
That each of us may share
The untold blessings of that night
His love beyond compare.