Christ’s Birthday

Christ’s birth­day! soft come float­ing down

The man­ger songs from by­gone years;

Till earth’s white robe new glo­ry wears

And bright­ly in her shin­ing crown

Each lone­ly star a guide ap­pears.

A guide where ma­ny an in­fant lies

Born in­to po­ver­ty like Him;

Where plen­ty’s face has nev­er smiled

Beneath the light of fad­ing eyes

Where life’s pale lamp is flick­er­ing

dim.

The man­ger songs! Oh

sweet the lays

Each mo­ther’s lov­ing lips have sung

’Neath cot­tage roof and pal­ace dome!

Like warb­ling birds in spring’s first days

Back to the ag­èd heart they come.

And soft­ly on the list­en­ing ear

Do an­gel voic­es car­ol still

Peace on the earth

good will to men

As on the wild Ju­de­an hills;

And wait­ing spir­its breathe

Am­en.

Our birth­day! if we wake to life

The life that ev­er mov­eth on

That knows no change of time or death

But

like a calm stream ’mid earth’s strife

Mirrors the Heav’n it looks up­on.