In the Bleak Midwinter
Anthony Way (treble)/ The Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral /John Scott Lyrics


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In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago

Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Lord Go-od A-almighty, Je-esu-us Christ

Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore

Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss

Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb




If I were a wise man, I would do my part
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Anthony Way John Scott & St. Paul's Cathedral Choir's "In the Bleak Midwinter" describes a winter landscape, where nature is frozen and covered with snow. The repetition of the word "snow" conveys a sense of stillness and emptiness. In contrast, the second verse talks about the birth of Jesus, who is too great to be contained by heaven or earth. The stable where he is born is humble, with only a manger filled with hay for him to lay his head. Even though angels and other heavenly beings might have been present at his birth, the focus is on Mary, who is depicted as a young and innocent mother who worships her son with a kiss.


The final verse is a reflection on what the singer can offer Jesus. The singer doesn't have any material possessions to give him, but he or she can give Jesus their heart. The emphasis on the heart as an offering in this verse emphasizes the spiritual significance of the Christian faith and invites listeners to question what they can offer Jesus in their own lives.


Line by Line Meaning

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
During a cold and desolate winter, the chilling wind produced mournful sounds


Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground was as hard as metal while the water was frozen and unyielding


Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
Multiple layers of snow had covered the ground, with more snow continuing to fall


In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
This cold and wintery scene is not a recent occurrence, but happened a long time ago


Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Neither heaven nor earth can fully contain or support him


Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
When he comes to rule, the entire world will tremble and all will be displaced


In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Even in harsh and humble conditions, a stable was enough to provide shelter and comfort


Lord Go-od A-almighty, Je-esu-us Christ
Jesus Christ is addressed as the all-powerful and divine savior and Lord


Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
What would be considered bare minimum for us mortals is sufficient for him, who is worshipped by heavenly beings


A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
A nourishing meal of milk and a simple bed of hay were enough to satisfy him


Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
Even heavenly beings prostrate themselves before him, yet what we might consider insignificant is sufficient for him


The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Even lowly animals recognize and worship him


Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
It is possible that not only heavenly beings, but also higher orders of angels were present


Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
Both cherubim and seraphim, which are the highest ranking angels, filled the skies


But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Yet, amidst all this grandeur, the most special entity there was his mother, who was experiencing the joy of maidenhood


Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
She expressed her love and adoration for her beloved son with a kiss


Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
As humble and poor as I may be, what can I possibly offer him?


If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a shepherd, I would give my best and most prized possession, a lamb


If I were a wise man, I would do my part
If I were a wise man, I would do everything I could to fulfill my role in honoring him


But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
But, in reality, the only thing of value that I could give him is my heart and the depth of my love and devotion




Lyrics © HOPE PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOYCE

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