The First Noel
Boy's & Girl's Children's Choir Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The first Nowell
the angel did say
Was to certain poor
shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they
lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter\'s night
that was so deep.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
Born is the King of Israel.
They look-ed up and saw a Star,
Shining in the East,
beyond them far
And to the earth
it gave great light
And so it continued both
day and night.
Nowell Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
Born is the King of Israel.
The star drew nigh
to the North-West,
O\'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did,
both stop and stay,
Right over the place where
Jesus lay.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
Born is the King of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to
our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven
and earth of naught,
And with his blood
mankind hath bought




Nowell, Nowell,Nowell, Nowell
Born is the King of Israel.

Overall Meaning

This timeless Christmas carol, The First Noel, recounts the story of the Nativity, where an angel appears to shepherds in a field, heralding the birth of Jesus. The angel tells the shepherds that the Savior has been born in Bethlehem and instructs them to go and see the child. The shepherds follow the bright star that appeared in the sky, leading them to the place where the baby Jesus lay. The song encourages listeners to join in with the joyous celebration of the Christ child's birth and give thanks to the Lord who made heaven and earth.


The lyrics of The First Noel have a universal appeal, telling the story of the Nativity in a simple and compelling way. The song reminds listeners of the humble beginnings of Jesus' life, born to a young couple in a manger, and the miraculous events that led to his arrival on earth. The lyrics are a testament to the power of faith, hope, and love, inspiring people around the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus and renew their commitment to the Christian faith.


Line by Line Meaning

The first Nowell
This is the story of when it all began


the angel did say
The angels were the ones who delivered the message


Was to certain poor
The message was intended for a particular group of people who were not affluent


shepherds in fields as they lay
The message was delivered to the shepherds while they were doing their job, resting in the field


In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
The shepherds were doing their job of keeping the sheep safe and sound


On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
The message was delivered on a very dark and cold winter night


Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
This is repeated to emphasize the significance of the announcement


Born is the King of Israel.
The message was about the birth of a King in Israel


They looked up and saw a Star,
The shepherds noticed a shining Star


Shining in the East, beyond them far
The Star was in the East, far from their location


And to the earth it gave great light And so it continued both day and night.
The Star illuminated the earth with great intensity both day and night


Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
This is repeated to emphasize the significance of the announcement


Born is the King of Israel.
The message was about the birth of a King in Israel


The star drew nigh to the North-West,
The Star moved towards the North-West


O'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
The Star stopped and stayed over the town of Bethlehem


And there it did, both stop and stay,
The Star remained stationary over the town of Bethlehem


Right over the place where Jesus lay.
The Star was precisely over the place where baby Jesus was


Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
This is repeated to emphasize the significance of the announcement


Born is the King of Israel.
The message was about the birth of a King in Israel


Then let us all with one accord
Everyone should join their voice together


Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
And sing praises to the Lord above


That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
The Lord created the heavens and the earth out of nothing


And with his blood mankind hath bought
And with His blood, He has purchased mankind


Nowell, Nowell,Nowell, Nowell
This is repeated to emphasize the significance of the announcement


Born is the King of Israel.
The message was about the birth of a King in Israel




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions