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O Little Town of Bethlehem
The Choir of King's College Cambridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in they dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Oh holy child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sins and enter in
Be born to us today
O morning starts together
Proclaim thy holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And peace to men on earth
O hear thy sacred angels
As faith holds wide the door
Then darkness wakes, the glory breaks
As Christmas comes once more
The hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a religious carol that brings to life the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The opening lyrics "O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie" sets the quiet and peaceful scene of Bethlehem at night, while "above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by" describes the serene, silent night sky above. The hymn then moves on to contrast the serenity with the shining light of hope that can be found in the dark streets of Bethlehem, referring to Jesus' birth as the "everlasting light". The line "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight" signifies the immense significance of the birth of the baby Jesus, and how his arrival was long-awaited and prayed for by many.
The second half of the hymn addresses Jesus directly, asking him to descend and be born anew to the people. The line "cast out our sins and enter in" alludes to the idea that the arrival of Jesus is a chance to redeem and cleanse our past mistakes, and to start anew. The hymn then goes on to call for the morning stars to sing praises to God and for peace to be brought onto the earth. The final line "as faith holds wide the door, then darkness wakes, the glory breaks" envisages the breaking of dawn with the glory of God shining through and illuminating the world, signifying the arrival of Christ and the beginning of a new era.
Line by Line Meaning
O little town of Bethlehem
Addressing the town of Bethlehem, where the events of Christmas took place.
How still we see thee lie
The town remains peaceful and serene, undisturbed by the surrounding events.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The town lies asleep, unaware of the coming of Jesus and the events that will take place.
The silent stars go by
The stars in the night sky shine down in silence, bearing witness to the events that will take place.
Yet in they dark streets shineth
Despite the darkness, the light of Christ shines through the streets of Bethlehem.
The everlasting light
Jesus, the light of the world, shines forever.
The hopes and fears of all the years
All the hopes and fears of humanity are met in the arrival of Jesus.
Are met in thee tonight
Christmas night marks the fulfillment of these hopes and fears.
Oh holy child of Bethlehem
Addressing the baby Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem.
Descend to us we pray
Asking Jesus to come down to earth and be with us.
Cast out our sins and enter in
Asking Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our lives.
Be born to us today
Asking Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives every day.
O morning stars together
Addressing the stars, which are associated with the coming dawn and the birth of Christ.
Proclaim thy holy birth
Announcing the birth of Jesus as a holy and miraculous event.
And praises sing to God the King
Glorifying God, who sent his son to save humanity.
And peace to men on earth
As a result of Jesus' birth, peace is brought to all people on earth.
O hear thy sacred angels
Addressing the angels, who heralded the coming of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields.
As faith holds wide the door
As we open our hearts to faith, we hear the angels and understand the coming of Jesus.
Then darkness wakes, the glory breaks
The darkness of sin and despair is replaced by the glory of Jesusโ birth.
As Christmas comes once more
This joyous event is renewed and celebrated each year on Christmas day.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lewis H Redner, Phillip Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@julien4960
Lyrics :
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
@Lexy_Meier
German translation: Alex Grendelmeier
O kleines Stรคdtchen Bethlehem
1. O kleines Stรคdtchen Bethlehem, wie still liegst du im Tal;
am Himmel zieh'n so sanft dahin
die Sterne ohne Zahl.
Doch in den dunkeln Strassen erscheint ein helles Licht,
das Furcht und Leid aus aller Zeit
in dieser Nacht durchbricht.
2. Ein Kรถnig wird im Stall gebor'n, verkannt und unscheinbar;
noch schlรคft die Welt, doch er erhellt,
was tief im Dunkel war.
O Morgensterne leuchtet, ihr Engelchรถre singt!
Geboren ist uns Jesus Christ,
der allen Frieden bringt.
3. O heil'ges Kind von Bethlehem, komm auch in uns're Zeit!
Begleite uns und leite uns,
der Weg ist schmal und weit.
Ihr himmlischen Heerscharen verkรผndet Gottes Ruhm.
Der Herr ist da! Halleluja,
mit seinem Kรถnigtum!
@MsMonkeyHat
Thinking of the actual town of bethlehem these past months and praying for peace
@amykalam8258
Same. Such deep connections all our 3 faiths have. Praying for peace and safety.
@allanscott7946
Takes me back to infant school,what lovely memories that will be with us forever
@edwardmorley5273
Me as well... All those years ago and it has never left me
@joseph7391
And me, very special memories โค
@idforyou1
My best Christmas carol ever!
@getorganizednotpianoized239
Everyone's best Christmas carol ever.
I loooooooooove FOREST GREEN!
@joseph7391
This takes me back to primary school ๐๐ป
@ilovepipeorgansthebestinst7740
This is the world's best choir, singing the world's best melody! I could listen to it all day.
@julien4960
Lyrics :
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel