Tuesday 23 December 2014

A last Christmas hymn for this year - Grundtvig's 'Dejlig er den himmel blå'


Lovely is the sky of blue

Lovely is the sky of blue,
fair it is to gaze on too,
where the golden stars gleam brightly
where they smile, invite us nightly
to ascend to them on high,
to ascend to them on high.

In the depths of Christmas night
when each star had dimmed its light,
all at once one star amazing
high in heaven’s vault was blazing
like a tiny star-like sun,
like a tiny star-like sun.

That this star so soft and bright
showed itself at dead of night
was indeed the legend’s sequel
that a king who had no equal
one day would be born on earth,
one day would be born on earth.

Wise men from far Eastern clime
set out without wasting time
for to find this king of story
and adore this king of glory,
born that very midnight hour,
born that very midnight hour.

Bethlehem was where he lay,
there they found him on the hay,
graced with neither crown nor sceptre,
only a poor woman sat there,
rocked the baby in her lap,
rocked the baby in her lap.

’Twas the star the wise men led
to Lord Jesu’s lowly bed,
we too have a star to guide us,
if we keep it close beside us,
we will come to Jesus Christ,
we will come to Jesus Christ.

This mild star as bright as day
which can never lead astray
is his holy revelation,
granted as our inspiration,
as a light to guide our feet,
as a light to guide our feet.

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