The Christmas Bells

Hark! the bells of Christ­mas ring­ing!

All abroad their ech­oes fling­ing!

Wider still and wid­er wing­ing

On the waste of win­try air—

On their so­lemn

swift vi­bra­tions

Rapture

rap­ture through the na­tions!

Rapture

till their glad pul­sa­tions

Million bliss­ful bo­soms share!

Every bell to ev­ery ham­mer

Answers with a joy­ous cla­mor—

Answers

till from out the gla­mour

Of the ag­es far and dim

Till from Beth­le­hem’s sta­ble low­ly

Fair as moon­rise

op­en­ing slow­ly

Streams of ra­diance pure and ho­ly

Down the bright­en­ing cen­tu­ries swim.

Then the bells ring fine and ten­der;

And from out that far-off splen­dor

Veiled in light no dreams could lend her

Lo

the vir­gin mo­ther mild

Pale from guilt­less pain un­spok­en

Calm in faith’s deep trust un­brok­en

Bright the Heav­en’s un­con­scious to­ken

Bends ab­ove her won­drous child!

Still the bells ring soft­ly

sweet­ly

Mingling all their chimes so mee­tly

Trancing all my soul com­plete­ly

Till the ro­sy clouds di­vide;

And o’er Beth­le­hem’s mount­ains hoa­ry

Bursts a strange ce­les­ti­al glo­ry

Swells a sweet

ser­aph­ic sto­ry

Trembling o’er the pas­tures wide!

Glory! glo­ry! God

des­cend­ing

Weds with man in bliss un­end­ing!

Hark! th’ec­sta­tic choirs at­tend­ing

Smite their lyres with tem­pest sound!

Shout! Old dis­cord’s reign is riv­en!

Peace on earth! good-will is giv­en!

Shout the joy through high­est Heav­en!

Make the crys­tal spheres re­sound!

Earth’s sad wails of woe and wrang­ling—

Like wild bells in night-storms jang­ling

Now their jar­ring tones un­tang­ling

In some deep

har­mo­ni­ous rhyme—

Touched by Love’s own hand su­per­nal

Hush their dis­so­nance in­fer­nal

Catch the rhyth­mic march eter­nal

Throbbing through the pulse of time

Lo

the Babe

where

glad

they found Him

By the chris­mal light that crowned Him!

See the shag­gy shep­herds round Him

Round His man­ger

kneel­ing low!

See the star-led Ma­gi speed­ing

Priest and scribe the re­cord read­ing

Craft and hate each om­en heed­ing

Brooding swift the dire­ful blow!

Vain the wrath of kings con­spir­ing;

Vain the ma­lice de­mons fir­ing;

On the na­tions

long de­sir­ing

Lo

at last

the Day-star shines!

Earth shall bless the hour that bore Him;

Unborn em­pires fall be­fore Him

Unknown climes and tribes ad­ore Him

In ten thou­sand tongues and shrines.

Hark! the Christ­mas bells

re­sound­ing

Earth’s old jar­gon all con­found­ing!

Round the world their tu­mult

bound­ing

Spreads Im­ma­nu­el’s match­less fame!

Million hands their of­fer­ings bring­ing

Million hearts around Him cling­ing

Million tongues ho­san­na sing­ing

Swell the hon­ors of His name!

Crown Him

mon­archs

seers

and sag­es!

Crown Him

bards

in death­less pag­es!

Crown Him king of all the ag­es!

Let the migh­ty an­them rise!

Hark! the crash of tune­ful nois­es!

Hark! the child­ren’s thrill­ing voic­es!

Hark! the world in song re­joic­es

Till the chor­us shakes the skies!

Living Christ

o’er sin vic­tor­ious

Dying Lamb

all-me­ri­tor­ious

Rising God

for­ev­er glo­ri­ous

Take our songs and hearts

we pray.

May we

Thee by faith des­cry­ing

On Thy death for life re­ly­ing

Rise to rap­ture nev­er-dy­ing

Rise with Thee

in end­less day.