Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.

Beginning from His home on high
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.

Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To every dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.

Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.

Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From every harm Your people shield.

To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God Whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.

Hark! the full-voiced choir is singing,
As the midnight darkness flies;
Heavenly angels now are bringing
Peaceful tidings from the skies.

Refrain

Hail, O Jesus! Hail, O Jesus!
Sun of Righteousness, arise!
Sun of Righteousness, arise!

Yes, behold the day of glory,
Dawn at length for all the earth;
List, the cherubs tell the story—
“This the day of Jesus’ birth.”

Refrain

Lo, He comes! His throne the manger,
Shepherds, seek His shrine the stall;
Ox and ass behold the Stranger,
God, who made and governs all!

Refrain

Mortals, raise your loudest voices,
Jesus lifts on high your horn;
Earth redeemed today rejoices,
For today her Lord is born!

Refrain

Now that the sun is gleaming bright,
Implore we, bending low,
That He, the uncreated Light
May guide us as we go.

No sinful word, nor deed of wrong
Nor thoughts that idly rove,
But simple truth be on our tongue,
And in our hearts be love.

And while the hours in order flow,
O Christ, securely fence
Our gates, beleaguered by the foe,
The gate of every sense.

And grant that to Thine honor, Lord,
Our daily toil may tend;
That we begin it at Thy Word,
And in Thy favor end.

The roseate hues of early dawn, the brightness of the day,
The crimson of the sunset sky, how fast they fade away!
O for the pearly gates of Heav’n! O for the golden floor!
O for the Sun of Righteousness that setteth nevermore!

The highest hopes we cherish here, how fast they tire and faint!
How many a spot defiles the robe that wraps an earthly saint!
O for a heart that never sins! O for a soul washed white!
O for a voice to praise our King, nor weary day or night!

Here faith is ours, and heavenly hopes, and grace to lead us higher;
But there are perfectness and peace beyond our best desire.
O by Thy love and anguish, Lord, O by Thy life laid down,
Grant that we fall not from Thy grace, nor cast away our crown!

Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

It can bring with it nothing but He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too;
Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice,
For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.