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 men
From heavens 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 its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing
The blessed 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;
O hush the noise ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing
For lo the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold
When with the ever circling years
Shall comes the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing
They sing angels sing
