Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Mannheim Steamroller Lyrics
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Glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Glory to the newborn King.
Christ, by highest heaven 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 to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun 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 suns of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
The song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is a beloved classic that has been sung during Christmas holiday season for years. The opening lines of the song, "Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King, Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile." sets an atmosphere of celebration of the birth of the savior. The song employs angelic imagery as a means of conveying the joy of Christ's arrival. The song also highlights themes of forgiveness and redemption, as well as emphasizes the importance of the Christian doctrine of the incarnation.
The second stanza, "Christ, by highest heaven 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 to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!" delves deeper into the Christian belief of the nature of Jesus - that He is both fully God and fully human, and that He was born to a virgin named Mary. The language suggests reverence and awe, in keeping with the theme of angels heralding Christ's arrival.
The final stanza, "Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace! Hail the Sun 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 suns of earth, Born to give them second birth.", continues this imagery of triumph and redemption, and presents Christ as both a healing and saving presence in the world. The emphasis of the stanza is on Christ's desire to help humanity transcend its suffering and experience new life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Listen! The messengers from heaven are singing,
Glory to the newborn King,
Praise the recently born King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
Peace and mercy on all the earth,
God and sinners reconcile.
God reconciles with sinners.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
All nations, rejoice!
Join the triumph of the skies;
Participate in the skies' triumph,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Proclaim along with the angelic host,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ is worshiped by the highest heaven,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Christ is the Lord forever,
Late in time behold him come,
See him come late in time,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
The offspring of a virgin's womb,
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
See the Godhead veiled in flesh,
Hail, the incarnate deity,
Hail to the incarnate deity,
Pleased as Man with to dwell,
Happy to dwell among men,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail to the Prince of Peace born in heaven!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
He brings light and life to all,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Mild he lays his glory by,
He gently sets aside his glory,
Born that man no more may die,
Born so that man may not die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Born to give them new life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn, Daniel Martin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Phelan
It's just not Christmas without Mannheim Steamroller.
At 70 it takes a lot to get into the spirit, lots of losses.
Always feel great when listening.
Really relate to the music, former Band Director (middle school) retired.
Still playing though, waiting for the" all clear".
Hang in there!
Florida Bhoy
My dad would wake up the whole household with this exact song blaring out the stereo every Christmas morning when I was a kid. Great memories, Merry Christmas everyone!
John Rogan
Just beautiful. It is now Jan 3, 2020, and I am still listening to Mannheim Steamroller. Just can't help myself.
KonElKent
Assuming you were referencing the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christmas is January 7th.
John Russell
This is sound of sitting in the backseat of my parents' Subaru wagon in December in the early 1990s, drawing faces in the foggy windows, watching the foothills slowly float by on a cold cloudy day. The cassette tape was warped and warbled, but it just added to the epicness of this song.
Emma Kawasaki
@William Jones That's how hip-hop was born though :P
William Jones
Better a warped cassette than a warped vinyl record!
Benjamin Campbell
Classic Mannheim sound. Love it!
KonElKent
A few years ago, Manheim Steamroller came to town, and I just HAD to go. My wife kept insisting that she had no clue who they were, then we're at the concert and she kept saying "Oh, I know this one! I remember this! This is who does that song?! Etc"
Anyways, it was a great show.
andrew andre johnson BSC
I love to hear instruments at play at Christmas time