Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Lo

how a rose e’er bloom­ing

From ten­der stem hath sprung!

Of Jes­se’s lin­eage com­ing

As men of old have sung.

It came

a flow­er­et bright

Amid the cold of win­ter

When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas fore­told it

The rose I have in mind;

With Ma­ry we be­hold it

The vir­gin mo­ther kind.

To show God’s love aright

She bore to men a Sav­ior

When half spent was the night.

The shep­herds heard the sto­ry

Proclaimed by an­gels bright

How Christ

the Lord of glo­ry

Was born on earth this night.

To Beth­le­hem they sped

And in the man­ger found Him

As an­gel her­alds said.

This flow­er

whose frag­rance ten­der

With sweet­ness fills the air

Dispels with glo­ri­ous splen­dor

The dark­ness ev­ery­where;

True man

yet ve­ry God

From sin and death He saves us

And light­ens ev­ery load.

O Sav­ior

child of Ma­ry

Who felt our hu­man woe

O Sav­ior

King of glo­ry

Who dost our weak­ness know;

Bring us at length we pray

To the bright courts of Heav­en

And to the end­less day!