Away In a Manger
The Choirs and Orchestra of Brigham Young University Lyrics
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The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
I love Thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky
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 fit us for heaven to live with Thee there
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Asleep on the hay
The lyrics to The Choir And Orchestra Of Clare College Cambridge's song Child In A Manger describe the humble and peaceful scene of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse portrays the scarcity of resources in the place where the baby was born, with no crib available for the child. As a result, the child rested his head on a bed made of hay. The second verse depicts the quietness of the moment, with the cattle lowing and the baby awakening without shedding any tears. The third verse is a prayer directed towards Jesus Christ. The cradle represents the singer's life and it is a plea for Jesus to remain close to them forever, to love them and bless all the children under his care, and prepare them to join him in heaven.
The song is written in a poetic language, with a gentle and peaceful tone, reflective of the emotions associated with the nativity scene. It showcases the deep faith and gratitude of the singer towards Jesus, the symbol of salvation and hope. The song reminds us of the essence of Christmas, the humility and sacrifice of love demonstrated by God for humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger no crib for a bed
There was no proper bed for Jesus when he was born.
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
Jesus, as a baby, rested his head and slept.
The stars in the bright sky
The bright stars were shining in the sky.
Looked down where He lay
The stars were looking down at Jesus where he was sleeping.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Jesus slept on a bed made of hay.
The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes
The cows were making noise and woke up the baby Jesus.
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
Jesus didn't cry when he woke up.
I love Thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky
The singer loves Jesus and asks him to look down from heaven.
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh
The singer asks Jesus to stay with them until morning.
Be near me Lord Jesus I ask Thee to stay
The singer asks Jesus to stay close to them.
Close by me forever and love me I pray
The singer asks Jesus to love them forever and be with them always.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
The singer asks Jesus to bless all the children who are under his protection.
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there
The singer asks Jesus to help us prepare for heaven so we can live with him there.
The stars in the bright sky
The same bright stars were still shining in the sky.
Looked down where He lay
The stars were still looking down at Jesus where he was sleeping.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
Jesus was still asleep on his hay bed.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: William J. Kirkpatrick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind