The Message of the Bells

I heard the bells

they seemed to say

We ring! Ring! Ring!

We’re pealing out a cheer­ful lay

We ring! Ring! Ring!

Re-echo what the ang­els say

To tell how on that bless­èd day

In Da­vid’s ci­ty far away

Was born the King.

The glad bells ring

their voic­es tell

To na­tions far and wide

Of hap­py Christ­mas­tide.

The glad bells ring

the tid­ings swell

They ring! They ring! They ring!

One bell pro­claimed

I ring aloud

And tell! Tell! Tell!

The news to na­tions of the earth

And swell! Swell! Swell!

That Mary’s ho­ly child is Lord

To all the earth

the sun of God

Foretold with­in the ho­ly word—

Emanuel.

Another rang in ac­cents clear

I bring! Bring! Bring!

To send the ech­oes far and near

I sing! Sing! Sing!

Good news to all

O do not fear

For Christ the pro­mised One is here

The down­cast hearts of men to cheer—

His prais­es sing.

Then all the bells that Christ­mas day

To tell! Tell! Tell!

In tones of per­fect har­mo­ny

Rang loud and clear

And from the stee­ples old and gray

In chor­us grand they seemed to say

We hail the new­born King this day

The Christ is here.