Away In a Manger
Hayley Westenra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away in a manger, no crib for a 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 you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky
And stay by my side until morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay




Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children in your tender care

Overall Meaning

Away in a Manger is a Christmas carol that reflects on the story of Jesus' birth. The first stanza paints a picture of Jesus, the newborn king, sleeping in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn. The verse sets the scene to show the humble beginnings of Jesus, born to a young, unmarried carpenter and his fiancee in a stable.


The second stanza, however, reflects a different side of Jesus. It talks about how the baby Jesus wakes to the sounds of the cattle lowing, but unlike any ordinary baby, he doesn't cry. The phrase "no crying he makes" is significant because it highlights the calmness and serenity of Jesus, even in such an unstable and uncomfortable situation. The third stanza is a prayer to Jesus, asking him to remain close to the singer until dawn arrives. It demonstrates a deep sense of faith and trust in Jesus, even as a baby. The final verse concludes with a blessing to all the children in Jesus' care.


Overall, the lyrics in Away in a Manger convey a powerful message about the birth of Jesus and the significance it holds for Christians around the world.


Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The baby Jesus was born in a manger, as there was no other place for him to sleep.


The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head
The baby Jesus, who is also known as the Lord, lay down his head to rest.


The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The stars shining brightly in the sky cast light upon where the baby Jesus was resting.


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus is sleeping on hay, which is spread on the manger floor.


The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
The cattle, which are also in the manger, are lowing and waking up the baby Jesus.


But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes
The baby Jesus does not cry despite being woken up by the cattle.


I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky
The singer loves the baby Jesus and asks him to look down from the sky and listen to her song.


And stay by my side until morning is nigh
The singer asks the baby Jesus to stay close by her side until morning arrives.


Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
The singer requests the baby Jesus to be by her side and never to leave.


Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray
The singer asks the baby Jesus to always be near her and to love her forever.


Bless all the dear children in your tender care
The singer prays for the baby Jesus to bless all the children who are under his loving care.




Lyrics © K - M MUSIC INC
Written by: WM. J. KIRKPATRICK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

lilyflower88

I love her voice!!! she is one of my favorite singers!!!!

joe smith

Hayley is so precious. Love her

TED0962

Truly Beautiful!

Quang Nguyen Duc

Beautiful song.Thanks Newzealand women singers Hayley Westenra.
Thanks Thien Vy for uploading. (Jan 2,2022).

VO VI

Wow...... Wonderful

Thomas Jefferson

It would be nice to see Hayley Westenra and Jackie Evancho do some songs together.