Away in a Manger
J.S. Warren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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,
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.
The song "Away in a Manger" is a reverent and tender hymn that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ in a humble manger, surrounded by animals and shepherds. The opening verse sets the scene with the image of the baby Jesus lying in a manger, which is essentially an animal feeding trough used as a makeshift crib. The lyric 'no crib for his bed' emphasizes the humble and unassuming nature of Jesus' birth, fitting for the King of kings, but born in such a lowly location. The stars in the bright sky are interpreted as symbols of wonder and awe, showing how the universe seems to hold its breath in anticipation of the Savior's birth. The second verse describes how the animals in the stable bear witness to the birth of Christ, with the cattle lowing as they lay beside Him.
The third verse of the hymn is a simple expression of love and devotion to Jesus Christ, asking him to stay close by and to 'bless all the dear children in thy tender care.' This sentiment is particularly poignant as it expresses the hope that all of God's children will be blessed and protected by His love, underlining the universal appeal of this hymn. The final line of the hymn emphasizes the ultimate hope and goal of every Christian, that of eternal life in heaven with their Creator. The hymn cascades gently towards this conclusion, fully embodying the peace and grace often associated with the story of the Nativity.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The little Lord Jesus was born in a humble and modest place where there's not even a proper bed.
The little Lord Jesus laid down his Sweet head.
The newborn Jesus peacefully rested his head in the manger.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The stars were shining bright and watched over baby Jesus as He lay in the manger.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
Baby Jesus is sleeping soundly on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
The cows are mooing and their noise has awakened the baby Jesus.
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
Even though the cows may have startled Him, Jesus remained calm and didn't cry.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
The author expresses their adoration and asks Jesus to bless them from heaven above.
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
The author asks Jesus to be with them throughout the night, until morning arrives.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
The author asks Jesus to stay near them and always be present in their life.
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
The author prays for Jesus' never-ending love and affection.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
The author asks Jesus to bless and care for all the children who are precious to Him.
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
The author prays for Jesus to prepare them for eternal life in heaven, where they will live with Him forever.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . TRADITIONAL, MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stwalstan
Absolutely beautiful! This song needed an American take on it!
@ToddSF
The words are now known to be wholly American -- not a translation from Martin Luther. All three known tunes are American, including this one (Afton Water) by Spilman and the other two by Kilpatrick and by Murray. Afton Water doesn't appear in many hymnals for this carol.