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The Blue Letter Bible

Hymns / Music :: From Heaven Above To Earth I Come

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"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10

Hymns Supplied Through the Gracious Generosity
of the Cyber Hymnal Website

Martin Luther - Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529 Words: Martin Luther, 1531 (Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth in Lyra Germanica, 1855, alt.

Music: "Von Himmel Hoch," from Geistliche Lieder, by Valentin Schumann (Leipzig, Germany: 1539); harmony by Johann Sebastian Bach


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Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

Luther wrote this hymn for his five year old son Hans; it was not published until four years later. It was sung at the annual Christmas Eve festival at the Luther home: a man dressed as an angel would sing the opening verses, then the children would greet him with the verse, "Welcome to earth, thou noble guest…"


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.

To you, this night, is born a Child
Of Mary, chosen mother mild;
This tender Child of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all your earth.

'Tis Christ our God, who far on high
Had heard your sad and bitter cry;
Himself will your Salvation be,
Himself from sin will make you free.

He brings those blessings long ago
Prepared by God for all below;
That in His heavenly kingdom blest
You may with us forever rest.

These are the tokens ye shall mark,
The swaddling clothes and manger dark;
There shall ye find the young Child laid,
By Whom the heavens and earth were made.

Now let us all, with gladsome cheer,
Follow the shepherds, and draw near
To see this wondrous Gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

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

Welcome to earth, thou noble Guest,
Through Whom e'en wicked men are blest!
Thou com'st to share our misery,
What can we render, Lord, to Thee!

Ah, Lord, Who hast created all,
How hast Thou made Thee weak and small,
To lie upon the coarse dry grass,
The food of humble ox and ass.

And were the world ten times as wide,
With gold and jewels beautified,
It would be far too small to be
A little cradle, Lord, for Thee.

Thy silk and velvet are coarse hay,
Thy swaddling bands the mean array,
With which even Thou, a King so great,
Art clad as with a robe of state.

Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain
The truth to us, poor fools and vain,
That this world's honor, wealth and might
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Here in my poor heart's inmost shrine,
That I may evermore be Thine.

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.

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing, with pious mirth,
A glad New Year to all the earth.


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Information about the musical score and the Cyber Hymnal Website
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The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.