Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Julie Andrews Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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" is based on the Gospel of Luke, the birth story of Jesus. The hymn is filled with symbolism and religious significance. The opening lines of the hymn call on the angels to sing out the good news of the birth of the new king, Jesus Christ. The words “Glory to the new-born King” emphasize that the birth of Jesus is a gift from God to the world.


In the second verse, the hymn emphasizes the divinity of Christ. The words “Christ, by highest heaven adored” remind believers that they worship a God who is almighty and powerful. The hymn goes on further to say that although God is omnipotent, he has humbled himself to enter into human life to save mankind from their sins. This selfless act of love is expressed through the lyrics “Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see”, which further emphasizes the divinity of Christ and his embodiment as a man.


The third verse of the hymn extolls Jesus as the prince of peace who comes to earth to bring light, life, and healing. His sacrifice on the cross brings salvation to the world and lifts them from earthly, sinful lives into eternal life. The term “Risen with healing in his wings” metaphorically refers to the wings of angels, as the savior carries away the sins of mankind.


Line by Line Meaning

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen, hear the heavenly angels sing,


"Glory to the new-born King!
Praise and honor to the newborn King, the Messiah,


Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
May there be peace on earth and God's gentle mercy upon us,


God and sinners reconciled."
The relationship between God and sinners has been restored and reconciled through Christ's birth,


Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
All nations should feel joy and arise in celebration,


Join the triumph of the skies;
Join the angels in their exultation and triumphant song,


With th' angelic host proclaim,
Together with the heavenly hosts, proclaim and announce the good news,


"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
The Christ is born in the city of Bethlehem,


Christ, by highest heaven adored:
The Christ is the highest and most adored in heaven,


Christ, the everlasting Lord;
The Christ is the Lord and has existed for all eternity,


Late in time behold him come,
At the appointed time, see Him come into the world,


Offspring of the favoured one.
The offspring of the favored woman, Mary,


Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;
Even though He is God, He is veiled in human flesh,


Hail, th'incarnate Deity:
Salute and worship the deity who has taken on human form,


Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
As a human, He was pleased to dwell amongst people,


Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Jesus, our God with us,


Hail! the heaven-born
Salute and welcome the one who was born in heaven,


Prince of peace!
The prince who will bring peace and harmony,


Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Salute the Son who is righteous,


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


Risen with healing in his wings
He is resurrected and brings healing and restoration,


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


Born that man no more may die:
He was born so that people may live eternally and not suffer eternal death,


Born to raise the son of earth,
He was born to lift up and resurrect the people of the earth,


Born to give them second birth.
He was born to give them a new birth, a spiritual one.


Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen, hear the heavenly angels sing,


"Glory to the new-born King !"
Praise and honor to the newborn King, the Messiah,




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group, Walt Disney Music Company, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL BATEMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions