Hark the Herald Angels Sing (song)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a Christmas carol written by Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley. It appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739. The original opening line was "Hark! how all the welkin rings"; the version known today is the result of alterations by various hands.

The tune that is now used was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840, as part of the cantata Festgesang ("Festival Song") honoring printer Johann Gutenberg and commemorating the invention of his printing press. The cantata was presented at the great festival held at Leipzig. Festgesang's second chorus, "Gott ist Licht" ("God is Light"), was adapted in 1855 by William Hayman Cummings.

The most popular arrangement of the Mendelssohn tune for "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is probably that by David Willcocks (published 1961) which adds a descant for the third verse.

The song is a staple in Christmas movies and TV shows that carry a religious message to some degree, usually as a spirited finale:

• It is the next-to-last song in the film It's a Wonderful Life.
• It is sung by an off-screen choir at the end of the 1951 film Scrooge.
• It is sung by the children at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It was also cited briefly in Tom Lehrer's song, A Christmas Carol, satirizing the over-commercialization of the holiday:

"Hark! The Herald Tribune sings," "Advertising wondrous things!"

Lyrics

Original Wesley version

Hark, how all the welkin rings,

“Glory to the King of kings;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

Universal nature say,

“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”

Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,

Christ, the everlasting Lord:

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate deity!

Pleased as man with men to appear,

Jesus! Our Immanuel here!

Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings.

Mild He lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth;

Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,

Fix in us thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,

Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display thy saving power,

Ruined nature now restore;

Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;

Stamp Thy image in its place.

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

Thee, the life, the inner Man:

O! to all thyself impart,

Form’d in each believing heart.

Traditional

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;

Christ the everlasting Lord;

Late in time, behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail th’incarnate Deity,

Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die.

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,

Fix in us Thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,

Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display Thy saving power,

Ruined nature now restore;

Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place:

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

Thee, the Life, the inner man:

O, to all Thyself impart,

Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

Modern

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"

"Peace on earth and mercy mild"

"God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"

Christ, by highest heaven adored

Christ the everlasting lord

Late in time behold him come

Offspring of the favoured one

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate deity

Pleased as man with men to dwell

Jesus our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"

Mild he lays his glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Risen with healing in his wings

Light and life to all he brings

Hail the sun of righteousness

Hail the heaven born prince of peace

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"