Away in a Manger
Crosby Bing Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.




Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of this classic Christmas carol are extremely heartfelt and poignant. The humble setting of the manger and the absence of a crib for the baby Jesus reflect the simplicity of his birth and the surrounding circumstances. The image of the stars shining bright and illuminating the stable where Jesus is lying is a powerful testament to the beauty of his divine presence. Moreover, the reference to the animals in the stable adds to the authenticity of the scene.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The little Lord Jesus had no proper place to sleep.


The little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head.
Despite not having a crib, he laid down his head and rested peacefully.


The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The bright stars shone upon the manger where the little Lord Jesus slept.


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
He slept soundly on a bed of hay.


The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
The sound of cattle mooing in the stable awakened the baby Jesus.


But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
He did not cry or fuss despite being awakened by the cattle.


I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
The singer expresses their love for Jesus and asks him to bless them from above.


And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
The singer asks Jesus to remain with them through the night.


Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
The singer requests that Jesus be close to them and remain with them.


Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
The singer prays that Jesus will always be near to them and love them.


Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
The singer asks Jesus to bless all the children under his loving care.


And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
The singer prays for Jesus to prepare them for heaven so they may live with him there forever.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Public Domain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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