Herdsmen Keeping Lonely Vigil

Herdsmen keep­ing lone­ly vi­gil

While the earth in slum­ber lay;

Eager scanned the far ho­ri­zon

For the com­ing of the day;

And a blaze of heav­en­ly light

Rent the cur­tains of the night.

Never shone a morn so ra­di­ant

Since cre­ation had its birth

And the orb of day in full­ness

Shed its prim­al light on earth

And the morn­ing stars abroad

Triumphed with the sons of God.

Stay your com­ing

dawn and sun­rise

For a Sun of high re­nown

Pours His light upon our dark­ness

And this Orb shall ne’er go down;

Now Im­ma­nu­el

Christ our Lord

Dwells on earth

in­car­nate Word.

Lift your eyes

ye lone­ly watch­ers

See the host in rai­ment white;

List

the strains of heav­en­ly mu­sic

Mingling with tran­scen­dent light;

Ne’er such mu­sic waked a morn;

Sons of men! the Christ is born.

Weary hearts that dwell in dark­ness!

Cast your dis­mal fears away;

Lo

the Sun on earth is shin­ing

For the morn has ris­en to­day

And the light that hailed His birth

Pours its glo­ry on the earth.