In the Bleak Mid-Winter
The St. Thomas Choir Of Men And Boys Lyrics
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Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
The song "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" describes the natural setting of Christmas which is centered around the birth of Jesus Christ. The opening verse describes a cold winter, where frosty winds moan, and the earth is as hard as iron, with water like a stone, and with snow on snow that has fallen. This frozen landscape is a metaphor for the world, which was waiting to be warmed up by the coming of Christ. The second verse talks about the greatness of Christ and how heaven couldn't hold him, and earth will also flee when he comes to reign. The third verse talks about the humbleness of Jesus' birth in a stable, where he was laid in a manger full of hay, without any grandeur or luxuries fitting for the son of God. Mary gave birth to the Savior, and the ox and the ass watched over him.
The fourth and final verse describes a question that everyone asks themselves - what can I give Jesus? The singer of the song reflects on what he could give, and that he is just a poor person. He ponders that if he was a shepherd, he would give a lamb, or if he was a wise man, he would offer his part of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but as he is neither, all he can give is his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
During the winter, the wind cries out in despair
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground is so cold that it's as solid as metal, and the water has frozen into rock
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow
There is so much snow that it seems like it's piled up infinitely
In the bleak midwinter, lo-o-ong ago
This winter is so cold and harsh, it feels like it's lasted a very long time
Heaven canno-ot hold him, nor-or earth sustain
God cannot be contained by the physical world
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign
When God takes control, the world as we know it will be transformed or destroyed
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Even God's Son was born in humble, meager surroundings
Lord Go-od A-almighty, Je-esu-us Christ
This song is addressed to Jesus Christ, the all-powerful God
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day
Even though angels are constantly in the presence of God, the simplest gifts are enough for Him
A brea-east full of milk, and a manger full of hay
The gifts needed to welcome the Son of God were basic and humble
Enough for Him, Whom angels fa-a-all before
Even though the angels bow down before Him, God doesn't require royal treatment
The ox and ass and camel whi-ich a-adore
Even the animals in the stable know that God is present and worthy of worship
Angels and arc angels may have gathered there
The birth of Jesus was a special moment in time, and all of creation was present in some way
Cherubim and seraphim thro-onged the air
The angels in heaven were singing and rejoicing over the birth of Jesus
But for hi-i-is mother, in her maiden bliss
Despite all the fanfare surrounding Jesus' birth, Mary experienced a simple, pure joy
Worshiped the Belove-ed wi-ith a-a kiss
Mary adored her child and embraced Him with affection
Wha-at can I give him, poor-oor as I am
Even though we may not have much to offer, God doesn't require elaborate gifts
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
Even though the shepherds were poor, they still offered what they had in devotion to Jesus
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
Even wealthy people would do well to offer their gifts with humility and sincerity
But wha-at can I gi-ive Him, gi-ive my heart...
The most precious gift we can offer to God is our love and loyalty
Lyrics © HOPE PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind