20 famous Christmas carol lyrics
12 December 2024, 16:08
From the joyful triumph of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ to the pure poetry of ‘Good King Wenceslas’, here are the lyrics to 20 of the greatest Christmas carols ever written.
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Even though we sing Christmas carols year to year, somehow we don’t grow tired of them. Whether they make us want to dance around the tree, be lulled into a gentle slumber by the fire, or get up and air-conduct in front of the whole family, carols have the incredible power to join up all the Christmases throughout our lives.
Here are some of the greatest Christmas carol lyrics ever written, to put you in the festive spirit.
-
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down
and glory shone around. -
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
'Silent Night' performed by St Paul's Cathedral Choir
-
We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.Refrain:
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light. -
The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree. -
Once in Royal David’s City
Once in Royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
Malakai Bayoh sings angelic solo carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’
-
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Ding Dong! merrily on high
In heav’n the bells are ringing
Ding, dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis -
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord! -
O Holy Night
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
’Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;Chorus
Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.
Aled Jones and Malakai M Bayoh sing ‘O Holy Night’
-
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath’ring winter fuel. -
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's pow'r
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy -
Carol of the Bells
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
‘throw cares away.’
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold -
In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Braimah and Konya Kanneh-Mason play ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ in medieval church
-
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!” -
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel. -
Coventry Carol
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay?” -
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
O Little Town of Bethlehem – Winchester Quiristers
-
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
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 Holly and the Ivy
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crownOh the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing in the choir -
The First Nowell
The First Nowell the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.Chorus:
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel. -
In Dulci Jubilo
In dulci jubilo
Let us our homage shew:
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In praesepio;
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio,
Alpha es et O!
'In Dulci Jubilo' by Praetorius, sung by Fair Oriana
