O Chief of Cities, Bethlehem

O chief of ci­ties

Beth­lehem

Of David’s crown the fair­est gem

But more to us than Da­vid’s name

In you

as man

the Sav­ior came.

Beyond the sun in splen­dor bright

Above you stands a won­drous light

Proclaiming from the con­scious skies

That here

in flesh

the God­head lies.

The wise men

see­ing Him so fair

Bow low be­fore Him

and with pray­er

Their trea­sured east­ern gifts un­fold

Of in­cense

myrrh

and roy­al gold.

The gold­en trib­ute owns Him king

But frank­in­cense to God they bring

And last

pro­phet­ic sign

with myrrh

They sha­dow forth His se­pul­cher.

O Je­sus

whom the Gen­tiles see

With Fa­ther

Spir­it

One in Three:

To You

O God

be glo­ry giv’n

By saints on earth and saints in Heav’n.