Star of the East (Jackson)

Star of the east! whose bea­con light

A gleam on Beth­le­hem threw

And thi­ther by that won­drous sight

Arabia’s sag­es drew

Arabia’s sag­es drew;

On thee in thought we love to gaze

In west­ern climes afar

And think on thy mys­te­ri­ous rays

Thou love­ly east­ern star.

Fair is the star of eve that sheds

Her light be­tok­en­ing rest;

And fair the morn­ing star that leads

The day in glo­ry dressed

The day in glo­ry dressed;

But still more fair thy form arose

And love­li­er to be­hold

Which of a more se­rene re­pose

A bright­er glo­ry told.

Hail thou

whose sil­ve­ry ra­di­ance led

Those Ma­gian chiefs to bring

Their choic­est gifts

in wor­ship spread

Before Ju­dea’s king

Before Ju­dea’s king;

That glo­ri­ous Sun

whose har­bin­ger

Thy light was made to shine

And like the pil­lared flame to bear

Aloft sal­va­tion’s sign!

Hail thou ap­point­ed to ad­orn

The ris­ing King of Heav’n

The prom­ised Child to Ju­dah born

The Son to Is­ra­el giv’n

The Son to Is­ra­el giv’n;

In whom the peace­ful em­pire sealed

Should more and more in­crease;

In Him

the migh­ty God re­vealed

In Him

the Prince of Peace!

So on thy bea­con light we gaze

In west­ern climes afar

And note thy Heav’n di­rect­ed rays

Thou love­ly east­ern star

Thou love­ly east­ern star;

With praise to Him

who in the sky

Thy won­drous cres­set hung

Prompt to in­form the’ob­serv­ing eye

Apart from speech or tongue.

Him who per­mits to all to see

The light their sta­tions need;

Who chose the star versed sage by thee

Star of the east

to lead

Star of the east

to lead;

Who made by shep­herd swains at night

The an­gel’s voice be heard;

And gives to us His Scrip­tures’ light

His own re­cord­ing word.