Hark, the heaven's sweet melody

Top Text Author Text Info Tune Timeline Page Scans Instances

Hark, the heaven's sweet melody

Author: E. H. Plumptre
Tune: HEAVENLY SONG
Published in 12 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Hark, the Heaven's sweet melody
Echoes now on earth,
And the bands of those on high
Sing the Virgin-Birth;
What mean ye, O ye passers-by,
Share ye not their mirth.

2 Shepherds watch their flocks by night;
Angel notes they hear;
Songs of glory in the height,
Peace and love brought near;
To us they sing, through Love's dear might;
Praise to CHRIST they bear.

3 Of His Birth the bright stars tell,
Pouring floods of light;
Shepherds seek out Bethlehem's cell,
All those stars in sight;
They find the King of Heaven where dwell
Ox and ass of right.

4 There, within the manger laid,
They their LORD descry:
We that Child of Mother-maid
Sing with praises high;
With homage, LORD, thus duly paid
We to Thee draw nigh.

Amen.

Source: Voices of Praise: for school and church and home #46

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: E. H. Plumptre

Edward H. Plumptre (b. London, England, August 6, 1821; d. Wells, England, February 1, 1891) was an eminent classical and biblical scholar who gained prominence in both church and university. Educated at King's College, London, and University College, Oxford, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1846. Plumptre served as a preacher at Oxford and a professor of pastoral theology at King's College, and held a number of other prestigious positions. His writings include A Life of Bishop Ken (1888), translations from Greek and Latin classics, and poetry and hymns. Plumptre was also a member of the committee that produced the Revised Version of the Bible. Bert Polman… Go to person page >

^ top