Whence Appears This Brilliant Star?

Whence ap­pears this bril­liant star

In the east­ern skies afar?

Never hath a ray so bright

Pierced the gloomy shades of night.

See! the glo­ry of its beams

With celestial ra­di­ance streams

Towards Ju­dea’s ho­ly land

Guiding there a faith­ful band.

There

a low­ly in­fant made

There

in Beth­le­hem’s man­ger laid

Christ

the Prince of Life

they find—

Christ

the Sav­ior of man­kind.

Ye who slight Em­ma­nu­el’s grace

Who in Him no beau­ty trace

Here His love for sin­ners see

In His deep hu­mil­ity.

Rise and shine

bright morn­ing star!

Spread thy hea­v’n­ly light afar

Till each heart il­lum­ined be

With the ra­di­ance shed by thee.