The Hymnal 1982 ‎#127

127. Earth has many a noble city

1. Earth has many a noble city;
Bethlehem, thou dost all excel:
out of thee the Lord from heaven
came to rule his Israel.

2. Fairer than the sun at morning
was the star that told his birth,
to the world its God announcing
seen in fleshly form on earth.

3. Eastern sages at his cradle
make oblations rich and rare;
see them give, in deep devotion,
gold and frankincense and myrrh.

4 Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
incense doth their God disclose,
gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
myrrh his sepulcher foreshows.

5 Jesus, whom the Gentiles worshiped
at thy glad epiphany,
unto thee, with God the Father
and the Spirit, glory be.

Text Information

• First Line: Earth has many a noble city
• Author: Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, 348-401?
• Meter: 87. 87
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1985
• Topic: Epiphany
• Source: Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861, alt. (tr.)

Tune Information

• Name: STUTTGART
• Adapter: William Henry Havergal
• Harmonizer: K. D. Smith, 1928-
• Meter: 87. 87
• Key: F Major
• Copyright: Harmonization by permission of K. D. Smith.