Angel hosts in bright array—
Stars their night-watch keeping—
Earthward wend their silent way,
While the world lies sleeping.
Through the wintry clouds they glide,
On through portal hoary,
Where, the ox and ass beside,
Lies the Babe of Glory.

Refrain

Ring the bells, and sound the horn!
Shout with exultation!
Christ the Lord today is born
For the world’s salvation!

All unseen by mortal eye,
Reverent and lowly;
Prostrate there, they laud on high
Him, the Infant holy.
From their lips celestial rise
Sounds, with joy o’erflowing,
Strains upborne beyond the skies,
Hymns with rapture glowing.

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Raphäel, archangel bright!
On thine errand wending,
Forth again into the night
Mount, the clouds ascending!
Take of that, thy glittering train,
Hosts of light, dear angel!
Then descend where Bethlehem’s plain
Waits thy longed evangel!

Refrain

Hark the news the angel tells:
“Lo! An infant Stranger,
God’s dear Son among you dwells,
Born in Bethlehem’s manger!”
Bursts a chorus from the sky,
Loud from Heaven’s portal:
“Glory be to God on high,
Peace, goodwill to mortal!”

Refrain

Angel spirits earthward led,
With a hope endearing,
First to worship, first to spread
News of Christ’s appearing!
Trace we out your footfalls light,
Praise we Christ in glory,
Then waft on the tidings bright
Of the Gospel’s story!

Refrain

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

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Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Refrain

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.

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Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.

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Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you; break your chains.

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Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:

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All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.

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Lord of Heaven, we adore Thee,
God the Father, God the Son,
God the Spirit, One in glory,
On the same eternal throne.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lord of Heaven, Three in One.

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

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Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

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See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

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Shepherds in the field abiding,
Tell us when the seraph bright
Greeted you with wondrous tiding,
What you saw and heard that night.

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We beheld—it is no fable—
God incarnate, King of bliss,
Swathed and cradled in a stable,
And the angel strain was this:

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Choristers on high were singing
Jesus and His virgin birth,
Heavenly bells the while a-ringing
“Peace, good will to men on earth.”

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Bright angel hosts are heard on high
All sweetly singing o’er the plains;
While mountains echo in reply
The burden of their joyous strains.

Say, shepherds, why this jubilee,
What doth your rapturous mirth prolong?
Say, say what may the tidings be
Which still inspire that heav’nly song?

Come, come to Bethlehem, come and see
The Child whose birth the angels sing;
Come, come, adore on bended knee
The Infant Christ, the newborn King!

See, there within a manger laid
Jesus, the Lord of Heav’n and earth!
See, saints and angels lend their aid
To celebrate the Savior’s birth!

Calm on the listening ear of night
Come heaven’s melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches forth
Her silver mantled plains.
Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sacred glories there,
And angels, with their sparkling lyres,
Make music on the air.

The answering hills of Palestine
Send back the glad reply;
And greet, from all their holy heights,
The Day-Spring from on high.
O’er the blue depths of Galilee
There comes a holier calm,
And Sharon waves, in solemn praise,
Her silent groves of palm.

“Glory to God!” the lofty strain
The realm of ether fills;
How sweeps the song of solemn joy
O’er Judah’s sacred hills!
“Glory to God!” the sounding skies
Loud with their anthems ring,
“Peace to the earth; good will to men,
From heaven’s eternal King!”

Light on thy hills, Jerusalem!
The Savior now is born,
And bright on Bethlehem’s joyous plains
Breaks the first Christmas morn.
And brightly on Moriah’s brow
Crowned with her temple spires,
Which first proclaim the newborn light,
Clothed with its orient fires.

This day shall Christian tongues be mute,
And Christian hearts be cold?
Oh, catch the anthem that from Heaven
O’er Judah’s mountains rolled.
When burst upon that listening night
The high and solemn lay:
“Glory to God, on earth be peace,”
Salvation comes today!

Do you know the song that the angels sang
On that night in the long ago,
When the heavens above with their music rang
Till it echoed in the earth below?

Refrain

All glory in the highest,
Peace on earth, goodwill to men,
Glory in the highest,
Peace, goodwill to men;
Glory in the highest,
Glory in the highest,
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.

Do you know the song that the shepherds heard
As they watched o’er their flocks by night,
When the skies bent down, and their hearts were stirred
By the voices of the angels bright?

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Do you know the story that the wise men learned
As they journeyed from the east afar,
O’er a pathway plain, for there nightly burned
In their sight a glorious guiding star?

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From every spire on Christmas Eve, the Christmas bells ring clearly out
Their message of goodwill and peace, with many a call and silver shout.
For faithful hearts, the angels’ song still echoes in the frosty air,
And by the altar low they bow, in adoration and in prayer.

A thousand blessed memories throng, the stars are holy signs to them,
And from the eyes of every child looks forth the Babe of Bethlehem;
But there are others, not like these, whose brows are sad, whose hopes are crossed,
To whom the season brings no cheer, and life’s most gracious charm is lost.

To whom that story, old and sweet, is but a fable at the best,
The Christmas music mocks their ears, and life has naught of joy or rest.
Oh! for angel’s voice to pierce the clouds of grief that over them rise,
The mists of doubt and unbelief that veil the blue of Christmas skies.

That they, at last, may see the Light which shines from Bethlehem, and unfold
For Christ the treasures of their hearts, richer than spicery or gold.
Hope of the ages, draw Thou near, till all the earth shall own Thy sway,
And when Thou reignest in every heart it will, indeed, be Christmas Day.

Glorious, beauteous, golden-bright,
Shedding softest, purest light,
Shone the stars that Christmas night,
When the Jewish shepherds kept
Watch beside their flocks that slept.

But the stars’ sweet golden gleam
Faded quickly as a dream
’Mid the wondrous glory-stream
That illumined all the earth,
When Christ’s angels sang His birth.

Soft and pure and holy glory,
Kings and seers and prophets hoary,
Shed throughout the sacred story:
While the priests, like shepherds true,
Watched beside God’s chosen few.

But that light no more availéd,
And its splendor staighway paléd
In His light Whom angels hailéd;
Even as the stars of old,
’Mid the brightness lost their gold.

Now no more on Christmas night,
Is the sky with angels bright,
But for ever shines the Light;
Even He Whose birth they told
To the shepherds by the fold.

Since that Light then darkens never,
Let us all, with glad endeavor,
Sing the song that echoes ever:
Glory in the highest Heaven!
Peace on earth to us forgiven.

Hark from on high those blissful strains!
Whence can such sweetness be?
Have angels waked their golden harps
With Heav’ns own minstrelsy?
With Heav’ns own minstrelsy?

Or do we hear the cherub voice
Of infant bands who raise,
Soaring from earth celestial notes
In their Creator’s praise?
In their Creator’s praise?

Thus spake the shepherds—yet with dread,
So strange the sounds they heard,
While o’er their slumb’ring flocks they kept
Their wonted nightly guard,
Their wonted nightly guard.

And soon they saw a dazzling light
Beam through the starry way,
And shining seraphs clust’ring where
The infant Jesus lay,
The infant Jesus lay.

They came a Savior’s birth to tell,
And tunes of rapture sing;
Hence the glad notes that filled the air—
Each swept his loudest string,
Each swept his loudest string.

But now in accents soft and kind
The chieftain angel said,
“Heav’ns tidings of great joy we bear—
Shepherds, be not afraid,
Shepherds, be not afraid.”

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

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Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

Hark, how all the welkin rings,
“Glory to the King of kings;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
Universal nature say,
“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”

Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,
Christ, the everlasting Lord:
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus! Our Immanuel here!

Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.

Mild He lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O! to all thyself impart,
Form?d in each believing heart.

Hark! what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo! the angelic host rejoices
Heavenly hallelujahs rise.

Listen to the wondrous story,
Which they chant in hymns of joy;
“Glory in the highest, glory;
Glory be to God most high!

“Peace on earth, good will from Heaven,
Reaching far as man is found;
Souls redeemed, and sins forgiven;
Loud our golden harps shall sound.

“Christ is born, the great Anointed;
Heaven and earth His praises sing:
O receive whom God appointed,
For your Prophet, Priest and King.

“Hasten, mortals to adore Him;
Learn His Name and taste His joy;
Till in heaven you sing before Him,
Glory be to God most high!”

Let us learn the wondrous story
Of our great Redeemer’s birth;
Spread the brightness of His glory
Till it cover all the earth.

Hark! what sounds are sweetly stealing
Soft through Bethlehem’s midnight air?
Louder yet, and louder pealing,
Angel accents sure are there.

Refrain

Glory, glory, peace and mercy,
Peace on earth, good will to men.

See! a light from Heaven is streaming,
Night and darkness quit the plain;
See! an angel brightly beaming,
Followed by a radiant train.

Refrain

Fear not, shepherds! glad my story,
Tidings of the greatest joy:
Christ is born, the Lord of Glory!
I proclaim a Savior nigh.

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Thus the angel, then ascending,
Seeks again the realms of light;
Now the chorus faintly ending,
All is silence, all is night.

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Hearken, all! what holy singing
Now is sounding from the sky!
’Tis a hymn with grandeur ringing,
Sung by voices clear and high.

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Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

On the plain, the simple shepherds
Watched their flocks the long night through;
From on high they heard the voices,
Sounding through the heavenly blue.

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See, within the manger lowly,
Wide the Christ Child spreads His arms.
Raise to Him your joyful voices,
Sing we all Noel, Noel.

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I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

In the lonely midnight on the wintry hill,
Shepherds heard the angels singing, “Peace, good will.”
Listen, O ye weary, to the angels’ song,
Unto to you the tidings of great joy belong.

Though in David’s city angels sing no more,
Love makes angel music on earth’s darkest shore;
Though no heavenly glory meet your wondering eyes,
Love can make your dwelling bright as paradise.

Though the Child of Mary, sent from heaven on high,
In His manger cradle may no longer lie,
Love is King forever, though the proud world scorn;
If ye truly seek Him, Christ your King is born.

Let angels and archangels sing
The wonderful Immanuel’s Name,
Adore with us our new-born King,
And still the joyful news proclaim;
All earth and Heav’n be ever joined
To praise the Savior of mankind.

The everlasting God comes down
To sojourn with the sons of men;
Without His majesty or crown,
The great Invisible is seen;
Of all His dazzling glories shorn
The everlasting God is born!

Angels, behold that Infant’s face,
With rapturous awe the Godhead own;
’Tis all your heav’n on Him to gaze,
And cast your crowns before His throne;
Though now He on His footstool lies,
Ye know He built both earth and skies.

By Him into existence brought,
Ye sang the all-creating Word;
Ye heard Him call our world from naught;
Again, in honor of your Lord,
Ye morning-stars your hymns employ,
And shout, ye sons of God, for joy.

Long ago a shining throng,
Thrilled the midnight air with song;
For the Savior promised long,
Lay in Bethl’em’s stall.
Over Judah’s silent plain,
Sweetly rang the joyous strain;
Of His birth, who yet shall reign,
As King of all.

Refrain

Praise Him, angels bright,
Praise Him, stars of light,
Tell His wondrous might,
Who today was born.
Shout, O shout His Name,
Gladly now proclaim,
How to save He came,
This happy morn.

Mighty God and Prince of Peace,
Never shall His glory cease;
But forever more increase,
Till He rules alone.
All the earth shall own His sway,
Crowns and kingdoms pass away;
Kings to him shall tribute pay,
Upon the throne.

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Sing, ye heav’nly hosts on high,
Sons of men, with joy reply,
Sound His praise through earth and sky,
In His love rejoice.
Let the swelling chorus ring,
Hail Him Lord and crown Him King;
Of His pow’r forever sing,
With heart and voice.

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Mortals, awake, with angels join,
And chant the solemn lay,
Joy, love, and gratitude combine,
To hail the auspicious day,
To hail the auspicious day.

In Heav’n the rapturous song began,
And sweet seraphic fire
Through all the shining legions ran,
And strung and tuned the lyre,
And strung and tuned the lyre.

Swift through the vast expanse it flew,
And loud the echo rolled,
The theme, the song, the joy, was new—
’Twas more than Heav’n could hold,
’Twas more than Heav’n could hold.

Down through the portals of the sky
The impetuous torrent ran;
And angels flew, with eager joy,
To bear the news to man,
To bear the news to man.

Hark! the cherubic armies shout,
And glory leads the song:
Good will and peace are heard throughout
The harmonious heav’nly throng,
The harmonious heav’nly throng.

With joy the chorus we repeat,
“Glory to God on high!”
Good will and peace are now complete,
Jesus was born to die,
Jesus was born to die.

Hail, Prince of Life, forever hail!
Redeemer, Brother, Friend!
Though earth, and time, and life shall fail
Thy praise shall never end,
Thy praise shall never end.

The evergreen branches are waving around us,
And sweetly our carols in harmony ring,
While here we are gathered to welcome with rapture
The birth of our Savior, Redeemer, and King.

Refrain

Hark! the music of the angels
Floating onward still we hear;
Blessèd music, sweetest chorus
Ever sung to mortal ear.

How graciously favored the shepherds of Judah,
Who guarded their flocks on that wonderful morn,
When legions descended, proclaiming the tidings
That Jesus, the promised Redeemer, was born.

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How humble His birthplace, how lowly His cradle,
O tender compassion, O infinite love!
The Son of the Highest our nature assuming
That we might inherit the mansions above.

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The sweet chiming bells with our carols are blending,
A glad, merry Christmas they joyfully ring.
While here we are gathered to welcome with rapture
The birth of our Savior, Redeemer, and King.

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Music I love—­but ne’er a strain
Could kindle raptures so divine,
So grief assuage, so conquer pain,
And rouse this pensive heart of mine;
As that we hear on Christmas morn,
Upon the wintry breezes borne.

Though darkness still her empire keep,
And hours must pass, ere morning break;
From troubled dreams, or slumbers deep,
That music kindly bids us wake:
It calls us, with an angel’s voice,
To wake, and worship, and rejoice.

To greet with joy the glorious morn,
Which angels welcomed long ago,
When our redeeming Lord was born,
To bring the light of Heaven below;
The powers of darkness to dispel,
And rescue Earth from death and hell.

While listening to that sacred strain,
My raptured spirit soars on high;
I seem to hear those songs again
Resounding through the open sky,
That kindled such divine delight,
In those who watched their flocks by night.

With them, I celebrate His birth;
Glory to God, in highest Heaven,
Good will to men, and peace on Earth,
To us a Savior King is given;
Our God is come to claim His own,
And Satan’s power is overthrown!

A sinless God, for sinful men,
Descends to suffer and to bleed;
Hell must renounce its empire then;
The price is paid, the world is freed,
And Satan’s self must now confess,
That Christ has earned a right to bless.

Now holy peace may smile from Heaven,
And heavenly truth from earth shall spring:
The captive’s galling bonds are riven,
For our Redeemer is our King;
And He that gave His blood for men
Will lead us home to God again.

Peaceful the wondrous night,
Peaceful and holy,
Under the silv’ry light,
Gleaming afar.
Faithfully watching there,
Shepherds so lowly,
Over the hills so fair,
Saw glory’s star.

Refrain

Hail to the starry night,
Sparkling with glory;
Angels on wings of light,
Thronging the sky.
Hail to that starry night!
Wondrous its story:
Jesus the Prince of Light,
Came from above.

Come with that shepherd band,
Come to the manger;
Join in the chorus grand,
Glory to God!
Worship the holy Child,
Wonderful Stranger,
Give to the Undefiled,
Glory and laud.

Refrain

Sweet favor, thus to bow,
Love’s treasure bringing,
Gratefully yielding now,
Life’s joyful praise.
Hear from the heav’nly height,
Glad echoes ringing,
Blessing and pow’r and might,
Through endless days.

Refrain

Shades of silent night dividing,
Bursts the glory from above;
Down the stream of brightness gliding,
Comes the messenger of love;
To the shepherds lowly, telling
Of the Christ expected long,
While the sudden anthem, swelling
Fills the flowing heav’n with song.

Heav’n will guard their flocks from danger
Scattered o’er the moist green sward,
While the swains to Bethlehem’s manger,
Hie to greet their newborn Lord.
Awe and love maternal blending,
Fill the blessèd virgin’s heart;
While with reverent gesture bending,
Kneel these humble men apart.

Not alone do men unlearnèd
Bow the holy Child before:
Sages who for truth long yearnèd
Heav’ns true Sun at length adore.
So our songs proclaim a story
Kings of old have longed to know;
Tell of Christ, the Prince of Glory,
Born this night, for high and low.

’Twas in the moon of wintertime,
When all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim,
And wondering hunters heard the hymn:

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Jesus your King is born,
Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapped His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high:

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The earliest moon of wintertime
Is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on
The helpless Infant there.
The chiefs from far before Him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.

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O children of the forest free,
O seed of Manitou,
The holy Child of earth and Heav’n
Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy,
Who brings you beauty, peace and joy.

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