Hymn
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem!
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God our King,
And peace to men on earth!
O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.
Amen.
O Little Town of Bethlehem — Text from American Lutheran Hymnal, 1930. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/o-little-town-of-bethlehem
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote O Little Town of Bethlehem?
The words of O Little Town of Bethlehem were written by Phillips Brooks; the version here was published in 1930.
Is O Little Town of Bethlehem public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from American Lutheran Hymnal, published in 1930. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of O Little Town of Bethlehem?
O Little Town of Bethlehem is in Common Metre Double (8.6.8.6 D). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, The Son of God goes forth to war, Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above and I've Found the Pearl of Greatest Price!