It came
upon a midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
from heaven's all -gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
with peaceful wings unfurled.
And still their heavenly music floats
O 'er all the weary world
Above the sand and lowly plain
They bend on hovering wing
And ever over its babble sounds
The blessed angels sing
Yet with the woes of sin and strife,
the world has suffered long.
Beneath the heavenly hymn
have rolled
two thousand years of wrong.
And warring humankind
hears not the tidings which they bring.
Oh, hush the noise and cease your strife,
And hear the angels sing.
For, the days are hastening on
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever -circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling
And all the world give back the song
which now the angels sing
It came upon a midnight clear
you