"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"
                       by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546
                                  Text From:
                     THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
            (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942), pp. 69-70


       1. "From heaven above to earth I come
       To bear good news to every home;
       Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
       Whereof I now will say and sing:

       2. "To you this night is born a child
       Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
       This little child, of lowly birth,
       Shall be the joy of all the earth.

       3. "This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
       Who in all need shall aid afford;
       He will Himself your Savior be
       From all your sins to set you free.  

       4. "He will on you the gifts bestow
       Prepared by God for all below,
       That in His kingdom, bright and fair,
       You may with us His glory share.

       5. "These are the tokens ye shall mark:
       The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;
       There ye shall find the Infant laid
       By whom the heavens and earth were made."

       6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
       Go with the shepherds and draw near
       To see the precious gift of God,
       Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

       7. Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
       What is it in yon manger lies?
       Who is this child, so young and fair?
       The blessed Christ-child lieth there.

       8. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
       Through whom the sinful world is blest!
       Thou com'st to share my misery;
       What thanks shall I return to Thee?

       9. Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
       How weak art Thou, how poor and small,
       That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
       Where humble cattle lately fed!

       10. Were earth a thousand times as fair,
       Beset with gold and jewels rare,
       It yet were far too poor to be
       A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

       11. For velvets soft and silken stuff
       Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
       Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great,
       As 'twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

       12. And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee
       To make this truth quite plain to me,
       That all the world's wealth, honor, might,
       Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

       13. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
       Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
       Within my heart, that it may be
       A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

       14. My heart for very joy doth leap,
       My lips no more can silence keep;
       I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
       That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

       15. Glory to God in highest heaven,
       Who unto us His Son hath given!
       While angels sing with pious mirth
       A glad new year to all the earth.

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       Notes: #85 in _The Handbook to The Lutheran Hymnal_
       Text: Luke 2: 1-18
       Author: Martin Luther, 1535
       Tune: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
       Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1855, alt.
       1st published in: "Geistliche Lieder" Leipzig, 1539

       _________________________________________________________________

       This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
       by Cynthia Beesley and is in the public domain.  You may
       freely distribute, copy or print this text.  Please direct any
       comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
       Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.                 

                        E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
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