In the Bleak Mid-Winter
Choir of St. Johns College Lyrics
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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
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...
In this beautiful Christmas carol, Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral sings about the cold, silent and lonely winter season, symbolized by the imagery of "frosty wind," "hard" earth and "snow on snow." The lyrics then move to tell the story of Jesus Christ's birth and his power as the ruler of Heaven and earth. The choir sings that not even the sustainability of Heaven and Earth is able to hold Him.
The second verse describes the humble setting of Jesus' birth, which is a stable, a place for animals, that suffices. However, this setting is significant because the Lord God Almighty and Jesus Christ are contained within its walls. The third verse speaks of the gifts that were brought to Jesus by various creatures, including the ox, the ass, and the camel. These animals may have been present in the stable on the day Jesus was born, joining the shepherds and the wise men who also worshiped Him.
The final verse shows the singer's feelings of inadequacy in providing gifts worthy of the newborn king. However, the singer reasons that giving his own heart, though it is small and impoverished, is the best gift he can give. In essence, this carol talks about Jesus' humble birth as a means to save mankind while at the same time illustrating that everyone has something of value to offer Him.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
The wind wailed with a cold, mournful sound during the dark and bitter winter
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground was frozen solid and the streams had turned to ice
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
The snow had piled up in deep drifts on top of each other
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
This harsh winter occurred a long time ago
Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Neither heaven nor earth is able to contain or support the power of Jesus Christ
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
When Jesus Christ comes to rule, all of heaven and earth will tremble and flee in fear
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
During this terrible winter, a lowly stable was enough to shelter Jesus Christ when he was born
Lord Go-od A-almighty, Je-esu-us Christ
Jesus Christ is the almighty Lord God
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
The angels who worship Jesus Christ constantly are satisfied with only enough food for livestock and a manger for their Lord
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
A simple meal of milk and hay in a feeding trough served as nourishment for Jesus Christ
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
The angels who bow down in reverence to Jesus Christ are content with the humble, meager dwelling in which He was born
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Even the animals who witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ showed their adoration for Him
Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
Many different types of divine beings could have been present at the birth of Jesus Christ
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
The air was filled with the sounds of heavenly beings, such as the cherubim and seraphim
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Despite all of the angels and other divine beings present, Jesus Christ's mother experienced a unique joy and peace at His birth
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
She greeted Jesus Christ with a kiss and worshiped Him out of her overwhelming love for her son
Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
As an impoverished person, there may not be much to offer Jesus Christ
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I had more to offer, like a shepherd with extra livestock, I would give it to Jesus Christ
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
If I had more wisdom or resources, I would give what I could to Jesus Christ
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
The best gift I can offer Jesus Christ is the fullness of my heart and devotion
Lyrics © HOPE PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind