once in royal david city
stood a lowly cattle shed
there 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, oppressed and wholly
lived on earth our savior holy
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 along
to the place that He is gone