1 With gladness we hail this blessed day,
That comes on the wings of morning
And chases the shades of night away,
With beauty the earth adorning.
As children of God we sing His praise,
That darkness to light is turning.
2 O wonderful hour, that Christmas night,
When Christ to the world was given;
He rose in the East with glory bright,
That spread o'er the darkened heaven;
Then swept o'er the earth a flood of light,
That gloom from our hearts hath driven.
3 Tho' trees were alive, endowed with speech,
And every leaflet singing,
They never His grace could wholly preach,
Tho' earth with their praise were ringing.
Who fully could praise the Light of life,
That light to our souls is bringing?
4 As golden the early flush of morn
Awakens the day from slumber,
So men by the light of God are born
To serve Him in countless number.
Then sparkle the eyes, the cheeks do glow,
Tho' dark be the day and somber.
5 With joy we shall reach our fatherland,
Where God with His own is dwelling;
There, ready for us, His mansions stand;
There angels, in strength excelling
Shall dwell with the saints in glory bright,
And heaven with praise be swelling.
Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #348
Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig was the son of a pastor, and was born at Udby, in Seeland, in 1783. He studied in the University of Copenhagen from 1800-1805; and, like some other eminent men, did not greatly distinguish himself; his mind was too active and his imagination too versatile to bear the restraint of the academic course. After leaving the university he took to teaching; first in Langeland, then (1808) in Copenhagen. Here he devoted his attention to poetry, literature, and Northern antiquities. In 1810 he became assistant to his father in a parish in Jutland. The sermon he preached at his ordination, on the subject "Why has the Lord's word disappeared from His house," attracted much attention, which is rarely the case with "pro… Go to person page >
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