Ancient and Modern ‎#81

81. Once in royal David's city

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 was that 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 and mean and lowly
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3 And through all his wondrous childhood
he would honour and obey,
love and watch the lowly maiden,
in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
mild, obedient, good as he.

4 For he 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.

5 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.

6 Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
set at God's right hand on high;
where like stars his children crowned
all in white shall wait around.

Text Information

• First Line: Once in royal David's city
• Author: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
• Meter: 87 87 77
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2013
• Scripture:
  Daniel 12:3
  ;
  Luke 2
• Topic: Children; Children and All-Age Worship; Christmas; Christmas Midnight; Church Year: Christmas; Devotion; Future hope; Heaven; Mary; Obedience

Tune Information

• Name: IRBY
• Arranger (last verse): David Willcocks (b. 1919)
• Composer (melody): Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876)
• Harmonizer: Arthur Henry Mann (1850-1929)
• Meter: 87 87 77
• Key: F Major
• Copyright: v. 6 arrangement from 100 Carols for Choirs © 1970, Oxford University Press. Reproduced by permission. All rights reserved.