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, loving 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, the scorned, the lowly 
	lived on earth our Savior holy. 

3.	Jesus is our childhood's pattern; 
	day by day, like us he grew; 
	he was little, weak, and helpless, 
	tears and smiles like us he knew; 
	and he feeleth for our sadness, 
	and he shareth in 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.