Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Kathleen Battle/Leonard Slatkin/The Orchestra of St. Luke's/New York Choral Artists/The Boys' Choir Lyrics


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

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth




Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King

Overall Meaning

This holiday song, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, reflects the joyous announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ. The opening stanza of the song begins with a jubilant call to all nations to rise and join in the triumph of the skies, proclaiming "Glory to the newborn King." The message of the birth of the Savior is one of peace, mercy, and reconciliation between God and sinners. The second stanza of the song speaks to the magnificence and majesty of Jesus Christ, who is adored by the highest heavens and is the everlasting Lord. The miraculous birth of Christ, in which an offspring of a virgin was veiled in flesh, is celebrated, and our savior is hailed as the "incarnate Deity". Jesus is also referred to as Emmanuel, which means "God with us" in Hebrew, reflecting the idea that Jesus came to live among us as a man. This song reinforces the idea that the birth of Jesus is a cause for celebration and a time of rejoicing for all.


Line by Line Meaning

Hark the herald angels sing
Listen, the angels are singing


"Glory to the newborn King!
"Praise the new King who has just been born!"


Peace on earth and mercy mild
Let there be peace on earth and kindness among people


God and sinners reconciled"
Through this birth, God and sinners have been brought back together


Joyful, all ye nations rise
All nations should rise up and be happy


Join the triumph of the skies
Celebrate along with the skies, which are also rejoicing


With the angelic host proclaim:
The angels are also proclaiming and singing praises


"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
"The new King, Jesus Christ, has been born in Bethlehem."


Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ is worshipped by the highest heaven


Christ the everlasting Lord!
Christ is the eternal Lord


Late in time behold Him come
He has come at a later time than expected


Offspring of a Virgin's womb
He was born of a virgin


Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Although He is God, He is hidden in human form


Hail the incarnate Deity
Let us celebrate God in human form


Pleased as man with man to dwell
He is happy to live among people as a human being


Jesus, our Emmanuel
Jesus is our God who is always with us


"Glory to the newborn King!"
"Praise the new King who has just been born!"


Hail the heav'n-born Prince of peace!
Celebrate the Prince of Peace who comes from heaven!


Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Celebrate the Son of Righteousness!


Light and life to all He brings
He brings light and life to all people


Ris'n with healing in His wings
He has risen with the power to heal


Mild He lays His glory by
He humbly puts aside His glory


Born that man no more may die
He was born so that people may never die again


Born to raise the sons of earth
He was born to raise all people on earth


Born to give them second birth
He was born to give them a new life


Hark! The herald angels sing
Listen! The angels are singing


"Glory to the newborn King!"
"Praise the new King who has just been born!"




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
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