Angels We Have Heard On High
Various [Incredible] Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweetly singing ore the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
The lyrics of Angels We Have Heard on High describe the scene of the night when Jesus Christ was born, as the angels in the sky sing to the people of Earth below. The opening lines depict the angels singing sweetly over the plains, with the mountains echoing back in response to their joyous strains. This can be interpreted as a symbol of the entire world recognizing and celebrating the birth of the newborn king. The lyrics then invite people to Bethlehem, to witness for themselves the birth of Christ, to come and adore him on bended knee. The chorus celebrates this momentous occasion with the words "Gloria in excelsis Deo," meaning "glory to God in the highest."
In the second verse, the lyrics focus specifically on the birth of Jesus, describing how he is laid in a manger, while choirs of angels praise him. Mary and Joseph are called upon to lend their aid in this holy moment. Finally, the chorus is repeated one last time, emphasizing the glory of the birth of Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
Angels we have on heard high
We are amazed to hear the angels sing so beautifully up high in the sky
Sweetly singing ore the plains
Their singing is so sweet and peaceful, resonating across the open fields
And the mountains in reply
Even the mountains are echoing back with a joyful response
Echoing their joyous strains
The mountains continue to reverberate with the angels' happy singing
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Come to Bethlehem and see
Come visit Bethlehem and witness for yourself the birth of Christ
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Christ's birth is so special that even the angels are singing about it
Come adore on bended knee
Show your respect and love for Christ by humbly kneeling before him
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Christ, the ruler of all, has just been born as a newborn king
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
See him in a manger laid
You can see Christ lying in a manger, a humble and unexpected birthplace
Whom the choirs of angels praise
He is worthy of the angels' choir, and they are singing his praises
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
Mary and Joseph, please help and support the newborn Christ
While our hearts in love we raise
As we reflect on Christ's birth, our hearts are filled with love and adoration
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Hallelujah! Praise be to God in the highest
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MusicOverMyHead
I've been trying to find this for years. I couldn't remember exactly what it was but I knew it was on a compilation album with a bunch of musicians. Had it on cassette back in the day. Thank you for posting this!