Noel

As Christmas draws near
It’s the time of the year
When the spirit of song fills the earth;
When hamlet and shire
Will assemble their choir
To rejoice in our dear Savior’s birth.
 
When girls and when boys
Of the world raise one voice
And sing carols of shepherds and kings;
Of angels they saw,
And the babe in the straw,
And the gift of salvation He brings.
 
Though words may be sung
In an alien tongue,
Know the language of music’s diverse;
Linguistics may change
Yet the image remains
In each word and each thought of each verse.
 
Ring out all ye bells!
And repeat in the dells!
Let your thunderous peals fill the land.
Let heaven declare
To this world of despair
That the season of hope is at hand.