When Marshaled on the Nightly Plain

When

mar­shaled on the night­ly plain

The glit­ter­ing hosts be­stud the sky

One star alone of all the train

Can fix the sin­ner’s wan­der­ing eye.

Hark! hark! to God the chor­us breaks

From ev­ery host

from ev­ery gem;

But one alone the Sav­ior speaks

It is the Star of Beth­le­hem.

Once on the rag­ing seas I rode

The storm was loud

the night was dark

The ocean yawned

and rude­ly blowed

The wind that tossed my foun­der­ing bark.

Deep hor­ror then my vi­tals froze

Death-struck

I ceased the tide to stem;

When sud­den­ly a star arose

It was the Star of Beth­le­hem.

It was my guide

my light

my all;

It bade my dark fore­bod­ings cease;

And through the storm and dan­ger’s thrall

It led me to the port of peace.

Now safe­ly moored

my per­ils o’er

I’ll sing

first in night’s di­adem

Forever and for­ev­er­more

The star! The Star of Beth­le­hem!