God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Clark Roy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our heavenly father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The son of god by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
"Fear not", then said the angel
"Let nothing you afright
This day is born a Savior
Of virtue, power, and might
So frequently to vanquish all
The friends of Satan quite"
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm, and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed babe to find
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a traditional Christmas carol and one of the oldest English carols that are still sung today. The song's lyrics are about the angels' message to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus Christ. The first stanza sets the tone of the song, telling the listener not to worry as Jesus Christ has been born on Christmas Day to save humanity from Satan's power when people were going astray. The chorus emphasizes the message of comfort and joy that the angel brought with tidings about the birth of Christ.
In the second stanza, the lyrics explain how an angel came from God our heavenly father and delivered the message of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. The angel revealed to them that in Bethlehem, the son of God was born. The third stanza has the angel calming the shepherds' fear by telling them that the birth of a Saviour who had virtue, power, and might had just happened. These lyrics are comforting to those who believe in Jesus Christ, especially at Christmastime.
The final stanza of the song encourages people to come together and embrace true love and brotherhood, praising the Lord on this holy tide of Christmas. The song ends with a message of comfort and joy. The song's lyrics are a reminder of the reasons for the season and the importance of cherishing and embracing love and brotherhood in our communities.
Line by Line Meaning
God rest you merry gentlemen
May God grant you a joyful spirit and a peaceful heart, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Don't be discouraged or afraid
Remember Christ our savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
Keep in mind that Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas day to rescue us from the grip of Satan when we were lost
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The message of comfort and joy is repeated for emphasis
From God our heavenly father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The son of god by name
A blessed angel from God came and delivered the message to shepherds that in Bethlehem the Son of God was born
Fear not", then said the angel
"Let nothing you afright
This day is born a Savior
Of virtue, power, and might
So frequently to vanquish all
The friends of Satan quite"
The angel reassured the shepherds to not to be afraid as a Savior is born on this day with great power and strength to conquer Satan's allies
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm, and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed babe to find
The shepherds were filled with great joy on hearing the good news and left all they had behind and went to Bethlehem to find the holy infant
But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray
They found the newborn lying in a manger where the cattle eat, with his mother Mary kneeling beside him, praying to the Lord
Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
Let us all sing praises to the Lord, and embrace each other with true love and brotherhood on this holy Christmas season, as it defaces all other events
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
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