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Speaker 1: Twelve Christmas poems selected from Christmas in Poetry, carols and

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poems by various authors. From Far Away by William Morris.

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From Far Away, we come to you the snow in

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the street and the wind on the door, to tell

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of great tidings strange and true. Minstrels and maids stand

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forth on the floor. From far away, We come to

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you to tell of great tidings strange and true. For

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as we wandered far and wide, the snow in the

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street and the wind on the door, What hap do

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you deem there should us be tied? Minstrels and maids

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stand forth on the floor under a bent, when the

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night was deep, the snow in the streets, and the

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wind on the door. There lay three shepherds tending their sheep.

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Minstrels and maids stand forth on the floor. O ye, shepherds,

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what have ye seen? The snow in the street and

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the wind on the door. To stay her sorrow and

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heal your teen minstrels and maids stand forth on the

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floor in an ox stall. This night we saw the

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snow in the street and the wind on the door.

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A babe and a maid without a flaw Minstrels and

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maids stand forth on the floor. There was an old

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man there beside the snow in the street and the

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wind on the door. His hair was white, and his

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hood was wide. Minstrels and maids stand forth on the floor.

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And as we gazed this thing upon the snow in

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the street and the wind on the door, those twain

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nailt down to the little one. Minstrels and maids stand

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forth on the floor, and a marvelous song we straight

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did hear the snow in the street and the wind

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on the door. That slew our sorrow and healed our care.

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Minstrels and maids stand forth on the floor, news of

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a fair and marvelous thing, the snow in the street

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and the wind on the door. Know well, no, well,

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know well, we sing. Minstrels and maids stand forth on

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the floor. From far away we come to you to

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tell of great tidings. Strange and true Carol by Kenneth Graham,

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From the wind in the willows, Villagers, all this frosty tide,

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Let your doors swing open wide. The wind may follow

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and snow beside. Yet draw us in by your fire

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to bide joy shall be yours in the morning. Here

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we stand in the cold and sleet, blowing fingers and

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stamping feet, come from far away you to greet you

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by the fire, and we in the street bidding you

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joy in the morning. For ere one half of the

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night was gone. Sudden a star has led us on

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raining bliss and benison Bliss tomorrow and more Anon Joy

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for every morning goodman Joseph toiled through the snow, saw

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the star or a stable low Mary, she might not

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further go. Welcome thatch and litter below. Joy was hers

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in the morning. And then they heard the angels tell

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who were the first to cry? Know well animals, all

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as it befell in the stable where they did dwell.

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Joy shall be theirs in the morning. Signs of Christmas

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by Edwin Lee's. When on the barns thatched roof is

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seen the moss in tufts of liveliest green, When Roger

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to the wood pile goes, and as he turns his

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fingers blows, when all around is cold and drear, be

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sure that Christmas tide is near. When up the garden

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walk in vain we seek for Flora's lovely train. When

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the sweet hawthorn bower is bare and bleak, and cheerless

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is the air. When all seems desolate around, Christmas advances

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o'er the ground, when tom at Eve comes home from

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plow and brings the mistletoes green bough with milk, white berries,

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spotted oar, and shakes it the sly maids, before then

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hangs the trophy up on high. Be sure that Christmas

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tide is nigh. When hal the woodman, in his clogs,

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bears home the huge, unwieldy logs that, hissing on the

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smoldering fire flame out at last a quivering spire. When

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in his hat the holly stands, Old Christmas musters up

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his bends. When clustered round the fire at night, Old

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William talks of ghost and sprite, and as a distant

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outhouse gate slams by the wind. They fearful wait while

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some each shadowy nook explore. Then Christmas pauses at the

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door when Dick comes shivering from the yard and says,

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the pond is frozen hard, while from his hat all

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white with snow, the moisture trickling drops below, while Carol's

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sound the night to cheer. Then Christmas and his train

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are here a Christmas hymn by C. Francis Alexander. Once

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in Royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed, where

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a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed.

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Mary was that mother, mild Jesus Christ her little child.

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He came down from earth to Heaven, who is God

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and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable,

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and his cradle was a stall with the poor and

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mean and lowly lived on earth, our Savior Holy. And

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through all his wondrous childhood he would honor and obey love,

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and watch the lowly mother in whose gentle arms he

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lay Christian children. All must be mild, obedient, good as he,

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for he is our childhood's pattern. Day by day like

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us he grew, He was little, weak and helpless, tears

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and smiles. Like us. He knew, and he feeleth for

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our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness. And our

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eyes at last shall see him through his own redeeming

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love for that child, So dear and gentle is our

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Lord in heaven above, And he leads his children on

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to the place where he is gone, not in that poor,

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loly stable, with the oxen standing by, we shall see him,

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but in heaven, set at God's right hand on high,

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when like stars his children crowned all in white shall

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wait around the Story of the Shepherd translated from the Spanish.

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It was the very noon of night, the stars above

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the fold, more sure than clock or chiming bell. The

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hour of midnight told when from the heavens there came

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a voice, and forms were seen to shine, still brightening

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as the music rose with light and love divine, With

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love divine, the song began. There shone a light serene,

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Oh who hath heard what I have heard? Or seen

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what I have seen? Onere could nightingale at dawn salute

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the rising day with sweetness like that bird of song

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in his immortal lay. Onere were wood notes heard at

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eve by banks, with poplar shade, so thrilling as the

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concert sweet by heaven. Harpings made for love divine was

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in each cord and filled each pause between. Oh who

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hath heard what I have heard? Or seen what I

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have seen? I roused me at the piercing strain, but

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shrunk as from the ray of summer, lightning all around,

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so bright the splendor lay for Oh, it mastered sight

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and sense, to see that glory shine, to hear that

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minstrel in the clouds who sang of Love divine, to

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see that form with birdlike wings of more than mortal mean.

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Oh who hath heard what I have heard? Or seen

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what I have seen? When once the rapturous trance was

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past that so my scentense could bind. I left my

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sheep to him who care breathed in the western wind.

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I left them for instead of snow, I trode on

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blade and flower and ice dissolved in star rays at

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morning's gracious hour, revealing where on earth the steps of

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Love Divine had been. Oh who hath heard what I

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have heard? Or seen what I have seen? I haste

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to a low roofed shed, For so the angel bayed

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and bowed before the lowly rack, where Love Divine was

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laid a new born babe like tender lamb with Lion's strength.

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There smiled, For Lion's strength immortal might was in that

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new born child. That Love Divine in childlike form had

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God forever been. Oh who hath heard what I have heard?

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Or seen what I have seen? A Christmas carol translated

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from the Neapolitan When Christ was born in Bethlehem. Twas night,

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but seemed the noon of Dedath. The star, whose light

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was pure and bright, shone with unwavering ray. But one

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bright star, one glorious star, guided the eastern Magi from Afar.

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Then peace was spread throughout the land. The lion fed

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beside the lamb, and with the kid to pastures led

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the spotted leopard fed in peace. In peace, the calf

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and bear, the wolf and lamb reposed together. There as

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shepherds watched their flocks by night. An angel brighter than

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the sun appeared in air and gently said, fear not,

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be not afraid. Behold, behold beneath your eyes, Earth has

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become a smiling paradise. Christmas Eve by John Davidson. In

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hall hedges, starving birds silently more in the setting year upright,

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like silver plated swords. The flags stand in the frozen mirror.

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The mistletoe we still adore upon. The twisted hawthorn grows

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in ancient gardens. Hellebor puts forth its blushing Christmas rose,

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shriveled and purple. Cheek by jowl, the hips and haws

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hang drearily rolled in a ball. The sulky owl creeps

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far into his hollowed tree. In abbey's and cathedral's dim

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the birth of Christ is acted, or the kings of

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Cologne worship him Bathazar Jasper Melchior. The shepherds in the

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field at night beheld an angel glory clad and shrank

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away with sore affright. Be not afraid the angel bad

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I bring good news to king, and clown to you.

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Hear crouching on the sword. For there is born in

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David's town a savior, which is Christ, the Lord. Behold

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the babe is swathed and laid within a manger. Straight

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There stood beside the angel, all arrayed a heavenly multitude.

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Glory to God. They sang, and peace, good pleasure among men,

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the wondrous message of release, glory to God again. Hush,

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hark the waits far up the street, a distant, ghostly charm,

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unfolds of magic music, wild and sweet anemones and Clarigold's

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Carol of the Birds by bass Quercy. Whence comes this

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rush of wings afar, following straight the know al star

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birds from the woods in wondrous flight. Bethelehem, seek this

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holy night, tell us see birds, Why come ye here

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into this stable, poor and drear hastening, we seek the

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new born King, and all our sweetest music bring hark.

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How the green finch bears his part. Philomel too with

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tender heart. Chance from her leafy dark retreat ray me

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fas soul in accents. Sweet angels and shepherds, birds of

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the sky come, where the son of God doth lie

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Christ on the earth, with man doth dwell join in

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the shout, Know well, know well. The shepherds had an angel.

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By Christina Rosetti, the shepherds had an angel. The wise

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men had a star. But what have I a little

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child to guide me home from far where glad stars

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sing together and singing angels are. Lord Jesus is my guardian,

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so I can nothing lack. The lambs lie in his bosom,

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a long life's dangerous track, the wilful lambs that go astray.

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He bleeding brings them back. Those shepherds through the lonely night,

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sat watching by their sheep, until they saw the heavenly host,

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who neither tire nor sleep, all singing glory, glory in

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festival they keep. Christ watches me. His little lamb cares

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for me day and night, that I may be his

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own in heaven, So angels clad in white shall sing

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their glory glory for my sake in the height. Lord,

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bring me near day by day till I my voice

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you know, and sing my glory glory with angels clad

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in white, all glory, glory, gin to thee through all

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the heavenly height. The least of Carols by Sophie Jewett,

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loveliest dawn of gold and rose. Steals across undrifted snows

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in brown, rustling oak leaves, stir squirrel, nuthatch, woodpecker breathe

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their mattins. But by noon all the sunny woods attune

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jays forgetting their harsh cries. Pipe a spring note, clear

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and true, wheel on angel wings of blue trumpeters of paradise.

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Then the tiniest feathered thing, all a flutter tail and wing,

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gives himself to caroling. Chickadee, Dee, chickadee. Jesu Lee, Hail

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to thee. Lowliest baby born to day, pillowed on a

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wisp of hay, king no less of sky and earth,

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and singing sea, Jesu, Jesu most and least for the

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sweetness of thy birth. Every little bird and beast, wind

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and wave and forest tree, praises God exceedingly exceedingly, a

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Christmas carol by Christina Rosetti. In the bleak midwinter, frosty

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wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like

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a stone. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on

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snow in the bleak midwinter long ago, our God, Heaven

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cannot hold him, nor earth sustain Heaven and Earth shall

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flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter,

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a stable place sufficed the Lord God, Almighty Jesus, Christ,

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Angels and archangels may have gathered there. Cherubim and Seraphim

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thronged the air, But only his mother, in her maiden bliss,

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worshiped her beloved with a kiss. What can I give him?

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Poor as I am. If I were a shepherd, I

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would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man,

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I would do my part. Yet what can I give him?

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Give him my heart? The shepherd who stayed by Theodosia garrison.

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There are in Paradise souls neither great nor wise, yet

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souls who wear no less the crown of faithfulness. My

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master bade me watch the flock by night. My duty

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was to stay. I do not know what things my

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comrades saw in that great light. I did not heed

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the words that bade them go. I know not were

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they maddened or frayed. I only know I stayed. The

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hillside seemed on fire. I felt the sweep of wings

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above my head. I ran to see if any danger

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threatened these my sheep. What though I found them folded quietly,

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What though my brother wept and plucked my sleeve. They

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were not mine to leave thieves in the wood and

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wolves upon the hill. My duty was to stay. Strange

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though it be, I had no thought to hold my mates,

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nor will to bid them wait and keep the watch

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with me. I had not heard that summons they obeyed.

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I only know I stayed. Perchance they will return upon

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the dawn with word of Bethlehem. And why they went,

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I only know that, watching here alone, I know a

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strange content. I have not failed that trust upon me laid.

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I ask no more. I stayed. And of twelve poems

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selected from Christmas in Poetry, carols and poems by various authors,