Traditional Hymns

Once in Royal David's City

Hymn lyrics and .mp3 Download

Listen to:
  Once in Royal David's City (.midi)
  Once in Royal David's City (.mp3)
  Once in Royal David's City Bells Version (.mp3)

1. Once in royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed; Mary, loving mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child.

2. 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 Savior holy.

3. Jesus is our childhood's pattern; day by day, like us he grew; he was little, weak, and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew; and he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.

4. And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that chlid so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above; and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

Words by: Cecil Frances Alexander
Music by: Henry J. Gauntlett