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 mean 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
Thru 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.