1 Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

2 He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3 And, thro' all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

4 But our eyes at last shall see Him
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above:
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

5 Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
Shall we see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high:
Then like stars His children crowned,
All in white shall wait around.

Amen.