In the Bleak Midwinter
Worcester Cathedral Choir Lyrics
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Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long time ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.
"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a Christmas carol that paints a picture of a harsh winter with lots of snow, cold wind, and frozen water. The first verse describes the extreme weather conditions with the earth being hard as iron and water like stones due to the cold. The second verse brings up the idea of God being too great for heaven and earth to hold, which signifies the immense power of Christ. The third verse, which is the most significant, focus on a stable being good enough for the Lord, despite already mentioning how God is too big for heaven and earth to keep Him. The "cherubim" represent the highest form of angels whose sole job is to worship the Lord day and night. They had their fill of milk, and Jesus only had a "breastful." There was also a manger full of hay, which is enough for the King of Kings, who is adored by animals who others wouldn't expect to adore Him such as the ox and ass, and even the famous camels. The final verse talks about how the singer wishes they could offer something of value to Jesus, but they have nothing but their heart to give.
The lyrics are an allegory that describes how God will come down to Earth in the form of a man. The song isn't about Christmas itself or the birth of Jesus, but about how amazing Jesus is as He lowers Himself to be born in a stable of all places. It showcases how little material possessions truly matter and the immense value of having a relationship with God. The manger and the hay are metaphors for how Jesus can be found in the modest, simple things in life. The final verse suggests that the only gift one can give is themselves and to offer their hearts as a way of showing love and devotion to Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
During a cold, harsh winter, the wind cried out mournfully.
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
The ground was so frozen that it was as hard as metal, and the water was as solid as rock.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
Multiple layers of snow covered the land.
In the bleak midwinter, long time ago.
This all happened a long time ago, during a cold winter.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
God is so vast and powerful that neither heaven nor earth can contain or support Him.
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
When God comes to rule, heaven and earth will vanish into thin air.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
During the cold and lonely winter, a stable was good enough for the newborn Jesus.
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the all-powerful God.
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Even with a heavenly bodyguard of cherubim who worship Him constantly day and night, Jesus Christ is satisfied with the little he was given.
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
All Jesus needed was a mother's milk to drink and a bed of hay to sleep on in a manger.
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
Though angels worship Jesus, He needed nothing grand or ostentatious.
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Even the humble animals in the stable recognized and worshiped Jesus.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
As a poor person, what tangible offerings can I give Jesus?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb as an offering for Jesus.
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part to give Jesus a gift.
Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.
However, the best thing I can give Jesus is my heart and my devotion.
Writer(s): HAROLD DARKE
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.