Together in Song ‎#312

312. Once in royal David’s city

1 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.

2 He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, despised and lowly
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3 And through all his wondrous childhood,
day by day like us he grew;
he was little, weak, and helpless,
tears and smiles like us he knew;
and he feels for all our sadness,
and he shares in all our gladness.

4 And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love,
for that child so dear and gentle
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

5 Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him: but in heaven,
set at God's right hand on high,
when his children gather round
bright like stars, with glory crowned.

Text Information

• First Line: Once in royal David’s city
• Author: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-95 (alt.)
• Meter: 87.87.77
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1999
• Scripture:
  Luke 2:1-7
• Topic: Christmas; Christmas Eve; Hymns Specially Suitable for Children; Jesus Christ: Incarnation

Tune Information

• Name: IRBY
• Composer: Henry John Gauntlett, 1805-76
• Harmonizer: H. J. Gauntlett
• Harmonizer: Arthur Henry Mann, 1850-1929
• Meter: 87.87.77
• Key: F Major