Christ — First Advent
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
- No. 288
- Metre C. M.
- Tune CHRISTMAS.
- Words Tate and Brady.
- Music George F. Handel.
- Key D major
- Singing key C major
- Time 4/4
- 6 stanzas
Words
⤢ Full screenWhile shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
"Fear not," said he,—for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind,—
Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
"To you, in David's town this day
Is born, of David's line,
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:
"The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All humbly wrapped in swathing-bands,
And in a manger laid."
Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song:
"All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good-will henceforth from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease."
About this hymn
As printed As printed: running head «CHRIST—FIRST ADVENT.»; hymn number «288» (large), tune name «CHRISTMAS. C. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «GEORGE F. HANDEL.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «While»; the music sings the last line twice («And glory shone around, And glo-ry shone around.»), printed out in full under the staves — the stanza below gives the four verse lines once, as a poem. Under the staves «seat - ed», «an-gel» and the second «glo-ry» are hyphenated; «shepherds», «around» and the first «glory» are set as whole words. Stanzas 2–6 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the reference line «27, 74, 70.» in italics (= may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 27, 74 or 70). «Tate and Brady.» in italics after stanza 6. The quotation of the angel runs from stanza 2 («"Fear not,"») to the end of stanza 4 («laid."»), each stanza opening with quotation marks as printed; the angels' song is quoted in stanza 6. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «:» («Lord ;», «sign :», «seraph ;», «song :», «peace ;»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly quotation marks and apostrophes are written straight. Spelling («Saviour», «swathing-bands», «Good-will»), punctuation and capitals are the print's. Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print.
- Source
- The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
- Where
- Christ — First Advent · No. 288 · printed page 94
- Checked
- score verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-01
