In the Field with Their Flocks Abiding

In the field with their flocks abid­ing

They lay on the dewy ground;

And glim­mer­ing under the star­light

The sheep lay white around;

When the light of the Lord streamed o’er them

And lo! from heav­en above

An an­gel leaned from the glo­ry

And sang his song of love.

He sang

that first sweet Christ­mas

The song that shall nev­er cease.

Glory to God in the high­est

On earth good will and peace.

To you in the ci­ty of Da­vid

A Sav­ior is born to­day!

And sud­den a host of the heav­en­ly ones

Flashed forth to join the lay.

O nev­er hath sweet­er mes­sage

Thrilled home to the souls of men

And the heav­ens them­selves had nev­er heard

A glad­der choir till then.

For they sang that Christ­mas car­ol

That nev­er on earth shall cease.

And the shep­herds came to the man­ger

And gazed on the ho­ly Child;

And calm­ly o’er that rude cra­dle

The vir­gin mo­ther smiled;

And the sky in the star­lit si­lence

Seemed full of the an­gel lay:

To you in the ci­ty of Da­vid

A Sav­ior is born to­day!

O they sang

and we pray that nev­er

The car­ol on earth shall cease.