Charles Wesley, “For Christmas Day: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” [Poetry for Christmas]

I’ve enjoyed posting poetry series themed around the Christian year recently (see “Poetry for Lent,” “Poetry for Easter,“ and “Poetry for Ordinary Time“). As a follow-up to the “Poetry for Advent” series, I am continuing that theme with a series called “Poetry for Christmas.” The season of Christmas, or Christmastide, runs after Advent, beginning with Christmas Day (December 25) through Epiphany Eve (January 5), giving us the 12 days of Christmas that we might have heard of. As we might expect, Christmastide focuses our celebrations around the nativity and early life of Jesus.

I begin this brief series of Christmas poetry with a poem written by Charles Wesley, “For Christmas Day: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” that we may know in a slightly revised form in a popular hymn. Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was the younger brother of John Wesley, and a renowned pastor, evangelist, and hymn writer. He is said to have written more than 65,000 hymns.

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Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinner reconcil’d.
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Christ by highest Heaven ador’d,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail, the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel!
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.