Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Christmas Carols Lyrics


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Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconcile
Joyful, all ye nations, rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace
Hail the Sun of righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the suns of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of the virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail, the incarnate deity
Pleased as Man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! the herald angels sing




Glory to the newborn King
Glory to the newborn King

Overall Meaning

The song Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a Christian Christmas carol written by Charles Wesley. The hymn speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ, with the first stanza focusing on the announcement of His birth by the angels to the shepherds. The second stanza speaks of the various titles given to Jesus, such as "Prince of peace" and "Sun of righteousness." In the third stanza, Wesley emphasizes the divinity of Christ, stating that He is both fully God and fully human, and that His birth is a cause for celebration and rejoicing.


The first verse of the song speaks of the glory and majesty of the newborn King, and the peace and mercy that His birth brings to the world. The second verse refers to Jesus as the "heaven-born Prince of peace" and describes His ability to bring light and life to all. The third verse praises Christ as the everlasting Lord, emphasizing His divinity and the miraculous nature of His birth. The song concludes with a reiteration of the joy and celebration that the birth of Jesus brings.


Overall, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a hymn of praise and worship for the birth of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes the importance of His birth and the transformative impact it has on the world. The hymn encourages listeners to join in the celebration of Jesus' birth and to acknowledge His divinity and power.


Line by Line Meaning

Hark! the herald angels sing
Listen! The messenger angels are singing


Glory to the newborn King
Praise the newly born King


Peace on earth, and mercy mild
May there be peace on earth and gentle mercies


God and sinners reconcile
God is bringing sinners to a state of reconciliation


Joyful, all ye nations, rise
All nations should stand up and be joyful


Join the triumph of the skies
Be united with the victorious heavens


With angelic host proclaim
Proclaim with the angelic host


Christ is born in Bethlehem
Christ was born in Bethlehem


Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace
Greet and praise the Prince of peace born in heaven


Hail the Sun of righteousness
Praise the righteous Sun


Light and life to all he brings
He brings light and life to everyone


Risen with healing in his wings
He has risen and brings healing with him


Mild he lays his glory by
He humbly puts aside his glory


Born that man no more may die
Born so that no man may have to experience death again


Born to raise the suns of earth
Born to lift the people of the earth


Born to give them second birth
Born to give them a new life, a figurative second birth


Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ is highly adored by heaven


Christ, the everlasting Lord
Christ is the eternal Lord


Late in time behold him come
At a later time, behold his arrival


Offspring of the virgin's womb
Born from the virgin's womb


Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
He is concealed in flesh, but it is still divine essence


Hail, the incarnate deity
Praise the deity who has become flesh


Pleased as Man with men to dwell
He is happy to live among men as a man himself


Jesus, our Emmanuel
Jesus, our God is with us


Glory to the newborn King
Praise the newly born King




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn, Daniel Martin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Chris Musix

Verse 2:

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord:
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’ incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.



All comments from YouTube:

Joshua Bates

This is what most orchestral choir renditions of this song lack. The mood of the song is supposed to be, for lack of a better term, joyful and triumphant! It's a song about an angel announcing the birth of the saviour of humanity for Chrissake!! It's supposed to get you amped up. Most sung versions of this song give it a very soft, flowing mood; as if to say "Oh, what do you know? Our eternal salvation is at hand...isn't that lovely?" This version here, this gets it right; my heart pumping and I am enthralled, as if a great victory has been won for the forces of good in this world.

I say this purely as a musical critic, I'm not even remotely religious.

Jose Mora

You nailed this in the coffin my friend. Glory is what we seek from this song. Glory we have found.

Dannie

Would you like to know more about said Savior of humanity? Indeed, you have glorified God without knowing it!

Joshua Bates

@Dannie
Not particularly, but thanks all the same

Anika Bananika 🍌

This!

5 More Replies...

Francesco Brosolo

MERRY CHRISTMAS! GOD BLESS US EVERYONE! MAY OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS FILL OUR HEARTS AND SOULS WITH HIS ALLPOWERFUL LOVE! 😍✝⛪🙏📿

Evelyn L.

Merry Christmas to you too! 🎅🎄⛄🦌🎁

Alex Film Imagery

You don’t have to be religious to cherish this song. Good music is just good music .

Chris Musix

But if you're religious and know the Lord Jesus Christ, it really makes this song POP!

Michael C.

Real

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