Bright and glorious is the sky,
Radiant are the heavens high
Where the golden stars were shining
And their rays to earth inclining,
Beckoning us to Heaven above,
Beckoning us to Heaven above.

On that holy Christmas night
Through the darkness beamed a light
All the stars above were paling,
All their luster slowly failing,
As the Christmas star drew nigh,
As the Christmas star drew nigh.

Sages from the East afar,
When they saw this wondrous star,
Went to the find the King of nations,
And to offer their oblations
Unto Him as Lord and King,
Unto Him as Lord and King.

Him they found in Bethlehem,
Yet He wore no diadem;
They but saw a maiden lowly
With an Infant pure and holy,
Resting in her loving arms,
Resting in her loving arms.

Guided by the star they found
Him Whose praise the ages sound,
We too have a star to guide us
Which forever will provide us
With the light to find our Lord,
With the light to find our Lord.

As a star God’s holy Word
Leads us to our King and Lord;
Brightly from its sacred pages
Shall this light throughout the ages
Shine upon our path of life,
Shine upon our path of life.

Bright was the guiding star that led,
With mild, benignant ray,
The Gentiles to the lowly shed,
Where the Redeemer lay.

But lo! a brighter, clearer, light
Now points to His abode;
It shines, through sin and sorrow’s night,
To guide us to our God.

Oh! haste to follow where it leads
The gracious call obey;
Be rugged wilds, or flowery meads,
The Christian’s destined way.

Oh! gladly tread the narrow path,
While light and grace are given;
Who meekly follow Christ on earth
Shall reign with Him in Heaven.

Come with the wise men! led by any sign—
This the holy promised One, Babe, yet Lord divine!
Wonderful Stranger from the courts above,
In the time appointed, God’s gift of love.

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Homage we render, Thou King and Defender!
Kneeling with wise men great, at love’s holy shrine.
All lands shall own Thee!
As Lord shall enthrone Thee!
Thine is the kingdom, and the glory Thine!

Seek with the wise men! seek, and ye shall find—
Seeking all the world He came, Savior of mankind!
Wise men are seekers, they the truly wise—
See! the Sought for ages before you lies!

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Kneel with the wise men! ’tis the Lord of all,
At Whose feet the saints above now adoring fall!
Offer your rarest, own Him as your Lord;
His a royal service with great reward.

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From the eastern mountains, pressing on, they come,
Wise men in their wisdom, to His humble home;
Stirred by deep devotion, hasting from afar,
Ever journeying onward, guided by a star.

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Light of life that shineth ere the worlds began,
Draw Thou near, and lighten every heart of man.

There their Lord and Savior meek and lowly lay,
Wondrous Light that led them onward on their way,
Ever now to lighten nations from afar,
As they journey homeward by that guiding star.

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Thou Who in a manger once hast lowly lain,
Who dost now in glory o’er all kingdoms reign,
Gather in the heathen who in lands afar
Ne’er have seen the brightness of Thy guiding star.

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Gather in the outcasts, all who’ve gone astray,
Throw Thy radiance o’er them, guide them on their way.
Those who never knew Thee, those who’ve wandered far,
Guide them by the brightness of Thy guiding star.

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Onward through the darkness of the lonely night,
Shining still before them with Thy kindly light.
Guide them, Jew and Gentile, homeward from afar,
Young and old together, by Thy guiding Star.

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Until every nation, whether bond or free,
’Neath Thy starlit banner, Jesus, follows Thee.
O’er the distant mountains to that heavenly home,
Where nor sin nor sorrow evermore shall come.

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I am so glad each Christmas Eve,
The night of Jesus’ birth!
Then like the sun the Star shone forth,
And angels sang on earth.

The little Child in Bethlehem,
He was a King indeed!
For He came down from Heaven above
To help a world in need.

He dwells again in heaven’s realm,
The Son of God today;
And still He loves His little ones
And hears them when they pray.

I am so glad on Christmas Eve!
His praises then I sing;
He opens then for every child
The palace of the King.

When mother trims the Christmas tree
Which fills the room with light,
She tells me of the wondrous Star
That made the dark world bright.

She says the Star is shining still,
And never will grow dim;
And if it shines upon my way,
It leads me up to Him.

And so I love each Christmas Eve
And I love Jesus, too;
And that He loves me every day
I know so well is true.

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the angels in Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the angels in Heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the souls on Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
And all the souls on Earth shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
Then let us rejoice amain,
On Christmas day in the morning.

The Magi came from lands afar,
Led by the guidance of a star,
They journeyed on to Bethlehem,
To seek the Savior, born for them.

And there in humble cottage-home,
Unto the heavenly Child they come;
And low before Him bend the knee
In love and deep humility.

Nor do they come with empty hands—
They bring the treasure of their lands;
Their costliest gifts they offer thence
Of gold and myrrh and frankincense.

They sought the Light, in darkness drear,
And lo, the morn broke full and clear;
The very Light of Light they see,
Though hidden in obscurity.

Jesus, our guiding Star, be nigh
Throughout our life, and when we die,
To lead us safely in the way
Which ends at last in perfect day!

O’er the hill and o’er the vale
Come three kings together,
Caring nought for snow and hail,
Cold, and wind, and weather;
Now on Persia’s sandy plains,
Now where Tigris swells with rains,
They their camels tether;
Now through Syrian lands they go,
Now through Moab, faint and slow,
Now through Edom’s heather.

O’er the hill and o’er the vale,
Each king bears a present:
Wise men go a Child to hail,
Monarchs seek a peasant;
And a star in front proceeds,
Over rocks and rivers leads,
Shines with beams incessant.
Therefore onward, onward still!
Ford the stream and climb the hills:
Love makes all things pleasant.

He is God ye go to meet;
Therefore incense proffer.
He is King ye go to greet:
Gold is in your coffer.
Also Man He comes to share
Every woe that man can bear:
Tempter, railer, scoffer;
Therefore now against the day,
In the grave where Him they lay,
Myrrh ye also offer.

Saw you never, in the twilight,
When the sun had left the skies,
Up in Heav’n the clear stars shining
Through the gloom, like silver eyes?
So of old the wise men, watching,
Saw a little stranger star,
And they knew the King was given,
And they followed it from afar.

Heard you never of the story
How they crossed the desert wild,
Journeyed on by plain and mountain,
Till they found the holy Child?
How they opened all their treasure,
Kneeling to that infant King;
Gave the gold and fragrant incense,
Gave the myrrh in offering?

Know ye not that lowly Baby
Was the bright and morning Star?
He Who came to light the Gentiles,
And the darkened isles afar?
And we, too, may seek His cradle;
There our hearts’ best treasures bring;
Love, and faith, and true devotion
For our Savior, God and King.

Lo! the star in the East! over Bethlehem’s plain,
It shines as a guide to the place
Where the weary, worn trav’ler his hopes may attain,
And worship that Infant of Days.
While forth from their treasures, frankincense and gold,
And the costliest spices they bring.
For in their distant land it had long been foretold,
The birth of that glorious King.

Refrain

Let the glad world rejoice! Let the angelic bands
Their anthems triumphantly sing!
To God be the glory! Sound forth, all ye lands,
The coming of Jesus our King.

Lo! the star in the East! we may gaze on it now;
Be pilgrims, with it for our guide;
The lesson of Bethlehem, still ever new,
The manger, and cross where He died.
We may read, we may learn, from His birth to His grave,
The teachings of peace and of love;
For this is the King Who is mighty to save;
His grace and His love we may prove.

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Lo! the star in the East! let us follow it still,
No pilgrim it e’er led astray;
Let us bow at His feet, let us study His will,
And ever His precepts obey.
What treasures have we to present to our King,
As an offering fitting and true?
Our hearts and ourselves, blessèd Jesus, we bring,
Accept us, and form us anew.

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Lo! the star in the East! yet with far wider rays,
Shall its glorious shining go forth;
And earnestly plead, God would hasten the day,
When His knowledge shall fill all the earth.
We would lift up our prayers, we would strengthen our hands,
Would send out our means all abroad,
Till the glorious Gospel is heard in all lands,
And the world is converted to God.

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I think of that star of long ago
That lighted the wanderers’ path below;
In faith I look up, and o’er me I see
That star in its beauty still shining for me.

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O star that once shone over Bethlehem!
Thy beams yet to mortals great joy proclaim.
The Lord to adore, I hasten with thee,
O star in thy beauty still shining for me.

“A Child unto us is born”—O joy!
To sin blighted earth comes high Heav’n’s Envoy;
Now over my path that dear memory,
A star in its beauty is shining for me.

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No clouds can obscure that kindly star,
Nor brightness of noonday its glories mar;
When shadows of death surround me, I’ll see
That star in its beauty still shining for me.

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It sheds on the world its peaceful rays,
And greets every mortal with heav’nly grace.
To Bethlehem’s Babe I hasten with thee,
O star, in thy beauty, still shining for me.

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Long ago the glorious Christmas star
Guided wise men from afar,
To the little town of Bethlehem,
To the Savior of all men.

Over hill, across the desert sand,
Slowly t’ward the Holy Land,
With them precious loving gifts they bring,
Asking for the newborn King.

When they saw the Child they all rejoiced,
Worshipped Him with tender voice,
Bowing low, presented gifts of love
To the Christ-child from above.

There came three kings, ere break of day,
All on Epiphany;
Their gifts they bare, both rich and rare,
All, all, Lord Christ, for Thee;
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are there,
Where is the King? O where? O where?
O where is the King? O where?

The star shone brightly overhead,
The air was calm and still,
O’er Bethlehem’s fields its rays were shed,
The dew lay on the hill;
We see no throne, no palace fair,
Where is the King? O where? O where?
O where is the King? O where?

An old man knelt at a manger low,
A Babe lay in the stall;
The starlight played on the Infant brow,
Deep silence lay o’er all;
A maiden bent o’er the Babe in prayer,
There is the King! O there! O there!
O there is the King! O there!

They all were looking for a king
To slay their foes and lift them high;
Thou cam’st a little Baby thing
That made a woman cry.

O Son of Man, to right my lot
Naught but Thy presence can avail;
Yet on the road Thy wheels are not,
Nor on the sea Thy sail.

My fancied ways why should’st Thou heed?
Thou com’st down Thine own secret stair;
Com’st down to answer all my need,
Yes, every bygone prayer.

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

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O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

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Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

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Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

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Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

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When from the East the wise men came,
Led by the Star of Bethlehem,
The gifts they brought to Jesus were
Of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Bright gold of Ophir, passing fine,
Proclaims a king of royal line;
For David’s son in David’s town,
Is born the heir of David’s crown.

The incense clouds, with fragrance rare,
The presence of a God declare;
Lo! kings in adoration fall,
For Mary’s Son is Lord of all.

The myrrh, with bitter taste, foreshows,
A life of sorrows, wounds, and woes;
The deadly cup, that overran
With anguish for the Son of Man.

Our gold upon Thine altar lies;
Our prayers to Thee, as incense, rise;
Accept as myrrh our tears and sighs;
O King, O God, O Sacrifice.

When wise men came seeking for Jesus from far,
With rich gifts to greet Him and led by a star,
They found in a stable the Savior of men,
A manger His cradle, so poor was He then.

Though laid in a manger, He came from a throne,
On earth though a stranger, in Heaven He was known.
How lowly, how gracious His coming to earth!
His love my love kindles to joy in His birth.

The wise men saw a light afar shine out on Christmas morning,
And taught by faith they hailed the star of Christ on Christmas morning.
Then journeyed they, those princes three, on Christmas in the morning,
To David’s town, his Lord to see, the Babe in glory’s morning!

Whom did ye see, ye shepherds, say, on Christmas in the morning?
Whose voice heard ye, this peaceful day, sweet singing in the morning?
“We heard their carols in the sky, on Christmas in the morning,
And saw the angel host on high in robes of light, this morning!”

And whom see ye, good Christians all, on Christmas in the morning?
Whose voice hear we, this festival, in tones of love and warning?
We hear the Church, our mother dear, on Christmas in the morning;
And see her Spouse, for faith sees clear, th’Incarnate Word, this morning.

Then lift ye up your hearts aright, this Eucharistic morning!
Come, come, where altars beam with light,
And choirs sing sweet, this morning;
Glory to God, to God our King, on Christmas in the morning!
Peace, peace, let all good people sing, goodwill to men this morning!