Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Gordon Langford and his Orchestra Lyrics

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Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!

Christ, by highest heaven adored:
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the favoured one.
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;
Hail, th'incarnate Deity:
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!

Hail! the heaven-born
Prince of peace!
Hail! the Son 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 son of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!"

Overall Meaning

The song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" joyfully celebrates the birth of Christ and alludes to the role of the angels in announcing the Messiah's arrival to the world. In the first verse, the angels sing praises of the new-born King, whose arrival brings peace and mercy for all sinful people. The angels invite all the nations to join them in proclaiming the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.

The second verse declares Christ as the highest heaven adored; the everlasting Lord; and the offspring of the favoured one, Mary. The song poetically expresses the idea that in Christ's birth, God dwelt among mankind, veiled in flesh so that he could empathize with human experiences. Christ is celebrated as the "Emmanuel," which means "God with us." The verse concludes with the declaration of "Glory to the new-born King!"

The final verse emphasizes Christ as the Prince of peace and the Son of Righteousness, who brings spiritual healing and new life. The imagery of Christ holding his glory and laying it by to be born as a human emphasizes the humility and sacrifice that came with bringing salvation to mankind. The verse concludes with the triumphant message that Christ was born to raise humanity from the dead and give them a second birth. The song finale declares, "Glory to the new-born King!"

Line by Line Meaning

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen! The angels who bring news sing

"Glory to the new-born King!
"Praise the newborn King!

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
Peace and kindness on earth,

God and sinners reconciled."
God has made peace with sinners."

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Everyone in all nations should be happy,

Join the triumph of the skies;
Join the celebration in the heavens;

With th' angelic host proclaim,
Proclaim with the host of angels,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
"Christ was born in Bethlehem."

Christ, by highest heaven adored:
Christ, adored in the highest heaven:

Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Christ, the eternal Lord;

Late in time behold him come,
He came at a later time

Offspring of the favoured one.
Son of the favored one.

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;
Godhead is hidden in human flesh;

Hail, th'incarnate Deity:
Greetings, the divine embodiment:

Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
He enjoys living among people as a man,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Jesus, who is also known as Emmanuel!

Hail! the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Greetings! The Prince of Peace was born in heaven!

Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Greetings! The Son of Righteousness!

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

Risen with healing in his wings.
His wings are a symbol of healing after his death and resurrection.

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

Born that man no more may die:
He was born so that humans would not die as they did before his birth.

Born to raise the son of earth,
He was born to elevate the children of the earth,

Born to give them second birth.
He was born to grant them a new birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen! The angels who bring news sing

"Glory to the new-born King!"
"Praise the newborn King!"

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn, Daniel Martin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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