It came upon the 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 them, From heaven's all-gracious King"
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing
And ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way, With painful steps and slow
Look now! for glad and golden hours, come swiftly on the wing
0 rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!
Yet with the woes of sin and strife, The world has suffered long
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled, Two thousand years of wrong
And man, at war with man, hears not, The love-song which they bring
0 hush the noise, ye men of strife, And 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
When peace shall cover all the earth, Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back the song, Which now the angels sing
