Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

In holly hedges starving birdsSilently mourn the setting year;Upright like silver-plated swordsThe flags stand in the frozen mere.The mistletoe we still adoreUpon the twisted hawthorn grows:In antique gardens helleborePuts forth its blushing Christmas rose.Shrivell’d and purple, cheek by jowl,The hips and haws hang drearily;Roll’d in a ball the sulky owlCreeps far into his hollow tree.In abbeys and cathedrals dimThe birth of Christ is acted o’er;The kings of Cologne worship him,Balthazar, Jasper, Melchior.The shepherds in the field at nightBeheld an angel glory-clad,And shrank away with sore affright.“Be not afraid,” the angel bade.“I bring good news to king and clown,To you here crouching on the sward;For there is born in David’s townA Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.“Behold the babe is swathed, and laidWithin a manger.” Straight there stoodBeside the angel all arrayedA heavenly multitude.“Glory to God,” they sang; “and peace,Good pleasure among men.”The wondrous message of release!Glory to God again!Hush! Hark! the waits, far up the street!A distant, ghostly charm unfolds,Of magic music wild and sweet,Anomes and clarigolds.

In holly hedges starving birdsSilently mourn the setting year;Upright like silver-plated swordsThe flags stand in the frozen mere.The mistletoe we still adoreUpon the twisted hawthorn grows:In antique gardens helleborePuts forth its blushing Christmas rose.Shrivell’d and purple, cheek by jowl,The hips and haws hang drearily;Roll’d in a ball the sulky owlCreeps far into his hollow tree.In abbeys and cathedrals dimThe birth of Christ is acted o’er;The kings of Cologne worship him,Balthazar, Jasper, Melchior.The shepherds in the field at nightBeheld an angel glory-clad,And shrank away with sore affright.“Be not afraid,” the angel bade.“I bring good news to king and clown,To you here crouching on the sward;For there is born in David’s townA Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.“Behold the babe is swathed, and laidWithin a manger.” Straight there stoodBeside the angel all arrayedA heavenly multitude.“Glory to God,” they sang; “and peace,Good pleasure among men.”The wondrous message of release!Glory to God again!Hush! Hark! the waits, far up the street!A distant, ghostly charm unfolds,Of magic music wild and sweet,Anomes and clarigolds.

In holly hedges starving birdsSilently mourn the setting year;Upright like silver-plated swordsThe flags stand in the frozen mere.

In holly hedges starving birds

Silently mourn the setting year;

Upright like silver-plated swords

The flags stand in the frozen mere.

The mistletoe we still adoreUpon the twisted hawthorn grows:In antique gardens helleborePuts forth its blushing Christmas rose.

The mistletoe we still adore

Upon the twisted hawthorn grows:

In antique gardens hellebore

Puts forth its blushing Christmas rose.

Shrivell’d and purple, cheek by jowl,The hips and haws hang drearily;Roll’d in a ball the sulky owlCreeps far into his hollow tree.

Shrivell’d and purple, cheek by jowl,

The hips and haws hang drearily;

Roll’d in a ball the sulky owl

Creeps far into his hollow tree.

In abbeys and cathedrals dimThe birth of Christ is acted o’er;The kings of Cologne worship him,Balthazar, Jasper, Melchior.

In abbeys and cathedrals dim

The birth of Christ is acted o’er;

The kings of Cologne worship him,

Balthazar, Jasper, Melchior.

The shepherds in the field at nightBeheld an angel glory-clad,And shrank away with sore affright.“Be not afraid,” the angel bade.

The shepherds in the field at night

Beheld an angel glory-clad,

And shrank away with sore affright.

“Be not afraid,” the angel bade.

“I bring good news to king and clown,To you here crouching on the sward;For there is born in David’s townA Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

“I bring good news to king and clown,

To you here crouching on the sward;

For there is born in David’s town

A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

“Behold the babe is swathed, and laidWithin a manger.” Straight there stoodBeside the angel all arrayedA heavenly multitude.

“Behold the babe is swathed, and laid

Within a manger.” Straight there stood

Beside the angel all arrayed

A heavenly multitude.

“Glory to God,” they sang; “and peace,Good pleasure among men.”The wondrous message of release!Glory to God again!

“Glory to God,” they sang; “and peace,

Good pleasure among men.”

The wondrous message of release!

Glory to God again!

Hush! Hark! the waits, far up the street!A distant, ghostly charm unfolds,Of magic music wild and sweet,Anomes and clarigolds.

Hush! Hark! the waits, far up the street!

A distant, ghostly charm unfolds,

Of magic music wild and sweet,

Anomes and clarigolds.

John Davidson.

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