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.
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 meek and lowly,
Lived on earth, our Savior holy.
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.
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.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.