Shades of Silent Night Dividing

Shades of si­lent night di­vid­ing

Bursts the glo­ry from above;

Down the stream of bright­ness glid­ing

Comes the mes­sen­ger of love;

To the shep­herds low­ly

tell­ing

Of the Christ ex­pect­ed long

While the sud­den an­them

swell­ing

Fills the flow­ing heav’n with song.

Heav’n will guard their flocks from dan­ger

Scattered o’er the moist green sward

While the swains to Beth­le­hem’s man­ger

Hie to greet their new­born Lord.

Awe and love mater­nal blend­ing

Fill the bless­èd vir­gin’s heart;

While with rev­er­ent ges­ture bend­ing

Kneel these hum­ble men apart.

Not alone do men un­learn­èd

Bow the ho­ly Child be­fore:

Sages who for truth long yearn­èd

Heav’ns true Sun at length ad­ore.

So our songs pro­claim a sto­ry

Kings of old have longed to know;

Tell of Christ

the Prince of Glo­ry

Born this night

for high and low.