They Leave the Land of Gems and Gold

lyricist: Aubrey de Vere, 1860
Composer: Edward d’Evry, 1898

They leave the land of gems and gold

The shin­ing por­tals of the east

For Him

the wom­an’s Seed fore­told

They leave the re­vel and the feast.

He

he is King

and He alone

Who lifts that in­fant hand to bless;

Who makes His mo­ther’s knee His throne

Yet rules the star­ry wild­er­ness!

To earth their scep­ters they have cast

And crowns by kings an­ces­tral worn;

They track the lone­ly Sy­ri­an waste;

They kneel be­fore the Babe new-born.

O hap­py eyes

that saw Him first!

O hap­py lips that kissed His feet!

Earth slakes at last her an­cient thirst:

With Ed­en’s joy her puls­es beat.

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