Away In a Manger
Kathleen Battle Leonard Slatkin & Orchestra of St. Luke's Lyrics
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No crib for his 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
The cattle are lowing
The poor baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.
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 take us to heaven
To live with Thee there
The lyrics of "Away in a Manger" create a serene and peaceful image of the birth of Jesus, depicting the scene of His birth and the love and adoration of the people around Him. The first two lines describe the humble setting of the birth, with no crib for the baby Jesus to rest in, causing Him to be laid down on a bed of hay. The second stanza then speaks about the peaceful sleep of the child, with the stars shining brightly above Him. The third stanza talks about the animals around Him, with the cattle lowing and the baby waking up, but not crying, as He is a peaceful and content child.
In the final stanza, the lyrics turn into a prayer, with the singer addressing Lord Jesus directly, asking Him to stay with them until the morning comes. They pray that the Lord stays close to them forever and protects them with His love. The song ends with a blessing for all the children, asking Lord Jesus to keep them under His care and take them to heaven to live with Him.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger,
In a stable, far away from civilization,
No crib for his bed
Without a proper bed,
The little Lord Jesus
A small incarnation of God,
Laid down his sweet head
Put his head down to rest,
The stars in the bright sky
The shining stars above,
Looked down where he lay
Observed him lying down,
The little Lord Jesus
A small incarnation of God,
Asleep on the hay
Sleeping on a bed of hay,
The cattle are lowing
The cows are mooing,
The poor baby wakes
The little baby awakens,
But little Lord Jesus
Despite being an infant incarnation of God,
No crying He makes
Doesn't make a sound,
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
I adore you, Lord Jesus,
Look down from the sky
Look upon us from your heavenly home,
And stay by my side,
Remain with me always,
'Til morning is nigh.
Until the dawn of a new day.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
Come closer to me, Lord Jesus,
I ask thee to stay
I implore you to stay by my side,
Close by me forever
Right beside me eternally,
And love me I pray
And love me unceasingly,
Bless all the dear children
Bless all the beloved children,
In thy tender care
Under your kind protection,
And take us to heaven
Bring us to heaven,
To live with Thee there
To dwell with you there forever.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Ramsey Murray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind