Once in Royal David's City Lyrics

Once in Royal David’s City

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.

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 Saviour holy.

We, like Mary, rest confounded
That a stable should display
Heaven's Word, the world's Creator,
Cradled there on Christmas Day,
Yet this Child, our Lord and Brother,
Brought us love for one another.

For He is our lifelong pattern;
Daily, when on earth He grew,
He was tempted, scorned, rejected,
Tears and smiles like us He knew.
Thus He feels for all our sadness,
And He shares in all our gladness.


By Henry John Gauntlett