1 When from the East the wise men came,
Led by the Star of Bethlehem,
The gifts they bro't to Jesus were
Of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
2 Bright gold of Ophir, passing fine,
Proclaims a King of royal line;
For David's son in David's town,
Is born the heir of David's crown.
3 The incense-clouds, with fragrance rare,
The presence of a God declare;
Lo! kings in adoration fall,
For Mary's son is Lord of all.
4 The myrrh, with bitter taste, foreshows
A life of sorrows, wounds and woes;--
The deadly cup, that overran
With anguish for the Son of Man.
5 Our gold upon Thine altar lies;
Our prayers to Thee, as incense, rise;
Accept as myrrh our tears and sighs:
O King, O God, O Sacrifice!
Amen.
The Hymnal: revised and enlarged as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892