"It Came Upon The Midnight Clear"
(Traditional)
(Modern : R.S Willis - E.H. Sears c.1850)

1- It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all-gracious King".
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

2- Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o'er its babble sounds the blessed angels sing.

3- Yet with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long.
Beneath the heavenly strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong,
and man, at war with man, hears not the tidings which they bring.
O hush the noise, ye world of strife,

4- O ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing!

5- For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold;
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.

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Syllabic legend:
...   hold
(Anticipate)
~   syllables
'   monosyllabic
-   emphasized
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1- (It) came upo~on the midnight clear, that glorious so~ong of old,
from angels be~ending near the earth to touch their ha~arps of gold:
"Peace on the ear~earth, good will to men, from hea~eaven's all-gracious King".
The world in sol~lemn stillness lay to hear the a~angels sing!

2- (Still) through the clo~oven skies they come with pea~eaceful wi~ings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats, o'er all the we~eary world.
Above its sa~ad and lowly plains they be~end on hovering wing,
and ever o'er its babble sounds the bless-ed a~ngels sing!

3- (Yet) with the wo~oes of sin and strife the wo~orld has su~uffered long.
Beneath the heavenly strain have rolled, two thousand ye~ears of wrong,
and man, at wa~ar with man hears not, the ti~idings which they bring.
O hush the no~oise, ye world of strife, and hear the a~angels sing!

4- (O) ye, bene~eath life's crushing load, whose fo~orms are be~ending low,
who toil alo~ong the climbing way, with painful steps and slow,
(look) now! For gla~ad and golden hours come swi~iftly o~on the wing.
O rest besi~ide the weary road. And hear the a~angels sing!

5- (For) lo! the da~ays are hast'ning on, by pro~ophets se~een of old,
when with the e~ever-circling years shall come the ti~ime foretold;
when pe~eace shall over all the earth, its a~ancient sple~endors fling,
and the whole wo~orld give back the song, which now the a~angels sing.

Which now the a~angels sing, which now the a~angels sing...

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