Shine Calm and Bright, Ye Moonbeams Light

Shine calm and bright

ye moon­beams light

O’er Beth­le’em’s town in slum­ber

O’er young and old

o’er bur­gess bold

And guests in good­ly num­ber;

For shel­tered safe from win­ter’s frost

Well housed and warm all lie

Secure from snow in street be­low

And screened from froz­en sky.

But Babe be­nign! No couch is Thine

Save low­ly man­ger stall

Where cold winds blow on Thy form di­vine

Who com­est to save us all.

The crowds who sleep in Beth­le’em’s walls

Both ci­ti­zen and strang­er

From roy­al blood alike have sprung

And spurn the hum­ble man­ger.

But all one day must wend their way

Heaving their lat­est sigh

To mor­tal doom in lone­some tomb

And in cor­rupt­ion lie.

But Babe be­nign! No pow­er ma­lign

Shall ov­er Thee bear sway;

Thy life of light in the heav­ens bright

Shall glow in eter­nal day!

To us

sweet Babe! Thy low­ly crib

Than cost­ly couch is dear­er

It seems to make Thee more our own

To bring the God­head near­er!

It seems to show Thy sym­pa­thy

For hu­man grief and pain

And makes us long to raise the song

Of No­el o’er again!

O Babe be­nign! Thy love di­vine

Shed round us

day by day;

Sweet Child of light! Be Thou our might

Our gen­tle King for aye!