In The Bleak Midwinter
Kinfolk 9 Lyrics
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Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Kinfolk 9's rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter" is a hymn that speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem in bleak surroundings. The song opens with the depiction of the severe weather conditions that prevailed at that time. The cryptic lyrics "Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone" compare the hardness of the surroundings with the warmth of the love that emanated during the birth of Jesus. The snowfall is an allegory of the birth of a new life, the life of Jesus Christ. The lyrics bring out the beauty in contrast, the cold surroundings and the warmth of the tiny baby.
The second stanza of the song talks about the coming of Jesus Christ to rule over the heaven and the earth. The hymn speaks of how heaven and earth will flee away at His coming. In this stanza, the lyrics talk about the simplicity of the place where Jesus was born, in a stable with a manger as a bed. The simple surroundings of the stable become hallowed ground with the presence of the Lord. The Ox and Ass and Camel, which were in attendance, are depicted as adoring Jesus.
The final stanza questions what one can give to the Lord, who has everything. The lyrics encourage an inward reflection on the actions that one can take to acknowledge the love that God has shown. The singer compares himself to a shepherd, who could bring a lamb, or a wise man who could do his part. But instead, the singer chooses to give his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
The cold and desolate winter was accompanied by the mournful howling of the wind.
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
The frozen ground and water had become as solid as stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
The snow had accumulated in multiple layers, covering everything in sight.
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
This happened in the distant past, during a harsh and unforgiving winter season.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
God's presence is so great that neither heaven nor earth can contain Him.
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
When God comes to rule over all, the physical world as we know it will cease to exist.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Despite His immense power and majesty, Jesus was born in a simple stable during the harsh winter season.
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the one true God, all-powerful and all-knowing.
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Despite being worshipped by angels constantly, Jesus was content with the simple offering of a manger and hay.
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
The baby Jesus was nourished by His mother's milk and slept in a feeding trough filled with hay.
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
Angels themselves bow down before Jesus, but He was satisfied with such humble circumstances.
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Even the animals recognized Jesus' greatness and paid homage to Him.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
It is possible that even more heavenly beings were present during Jesus' birth.
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
Angels were present en masse, surrounding Jesus and His parents.
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Despite the heavenly host, Mary was the only one who understood the true significance of her baby's birth and was blissful in her role as His mother.
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
Mary showed her love and reverence for her son by giving Him a kiss, recognizing that He was more than just a human baby.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
The artist questions what they can possibly offer to Jesus, given their own humble circumstances.
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
The singer imagines that if they were a shepherd, they would offer one of their own lambs as a gift to Jesus.
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
If the singer possessed the status and wisdom of the Magi, they would have contributed in any way possible to honor Jesus.
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Since the artist is not a wealthy shepherd or wise man, the only thing they can offer is their own heart and devotion to Jesus.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PD TRADITIONAL, TERRY OLDFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind