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 Savior holy.

3 Jesus is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless;
Tears and smiles like us He knew:
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

4 And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Thro' His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav'n above,
And he leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.