Away in a Manger

Representative Text

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
the stars in the heavens looked down where He lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2 The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.


Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #230

Author (attributed to): Martin Luther

Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody. i. Hymn Books. 1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >

Author (st. 1-2): Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

Author (v. 3, attr.): John T. McFarland

(no biographical information available about John T. McFarland.) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
Title: Away in a Manger
Author (st. 1-2): Anonymous (1885)
Author (v. 3, attr.): John T. McFarland (1892)
Author (attributed to): Martin Luther
Meter: 11.11.11.11
Source: Traditional carol
Language: English
Notes: Spanish translations: See "Al pobre pesebre del Niño Jesús" by Effie Chastain de Naylor; "Allá en el pesebre, do nace Jesús by George Paul Simmonds; Swahili translation: See "Kawadia siku za kuzaliwa" by M. G. Mtusoli; Esperanto translation: See "En bova fojntrogo anstataŭ litet’" by Ellen Gregory.
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Luke 2:4-7

Stanzas 1 and 2 of this anonymous children's hymn were first published in the Lutheran compilation Little Children's Book for Schools and Families (Philadelphia, 1885). Charles H. Gabriel (PHH 24) published the text with an additional third stanza, also anonymously written in his Vineyard Songs (1892).

Though obviously a children's hymn, "Away in a Manger" is a charming favorite of many people, regardless of age. When people object to the "no crying" phrase in stanza 2, seeing it as a denial of Christ's humanity, they've really missed the childlike nature of this hymn. "Away in a Manger" has a lullaby character in stanzas 1 and 2; stanza 3 is an evening bedtime prayer.

Liturgical Use:
Christmas season, perhaps best on Christmas Eve or on a similar evening worship service.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune

MUELLER (Murray)

With the original two-stanza text, AWAY IN A MANGER was first published in James R. Murray's Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses (1887) and initialed “J. R. M.” Murray (b. Andover, MA, 1841; d. Cincinnati, OH, 1905) compiled the songbook and is now thought to be the tune's composer. However,…

Go to tune page >


CRADLE SONG (Kirkpatrick)


Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #103
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Cyber Hymnal #327
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #348
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #349
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
The United Methodist Hymnal #217
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #203
Worship and Rejoice #205
With Heart and Voice: songs for all God's children #80
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
With Heart and Voice: songs for all God's children #81
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 155)

A Teaching Hymnal #16

AGO Founders Hymnal #18

Ambassador Hymnal #331

Ambassador Hymnal #332

An Nou Chanté! #62

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #59

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Baptist Hymnal 2008 #205

Text

Baptist Hymnal 2008 #208

TextPage Scan

Breaking Bread (Vol. 39) #95

Chalice Carols #12

Text

Christian Worship (1993) #68

Christmas Favorites #10

Christmas Favorites #11

Church Family Worship #651

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #149

Community of Christ Sings #425

Page Scan

Community of Christ Sings #426

Page Scan

Complete Mission Praise #47

Text

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #119

TextAudioPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Worship #277

Text

Evangelical Lutheran Worship #278

Gather Comprehensive, Second Edition #365

Hymnal #194

Hymns and Psalms #94

TextPage Scan

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #72

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Promise #158

Hymns of the Christian Life #54

Hymns Old and New #51

TextPage Scan

Hymns to the Living God #111

Text

Journeysongs (2nd ed.) #359

TextPage Scan

Journeysongs (3rd ed.) #310

Text

Lift Every Voice and Sing II #27

Living Hymns #121

Text

Lutheran Worship #64

Text

One and All Rejoice #185

TextPage Scan

One in Faith #376

TextPage Scan

One in Faith #380

Praise y Adoración #77a

Praise! Our Songs and Hymns #186

Praise! Our Songs and Hymns #187

TextPage Scan

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #230

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #348

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #349

Rejoice Hymns #232

Rejoice Hymns #233

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #213

TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #214

TextPage Scan

RitualSong (2nd ed.) #522

Text

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #124

Sing Glory #345

TextPage Scan

Sing Joyfully #209

TextPage Scan

Sing Joyfully #213

Text

Singing Our Faith #110

Audio

Small Church Music #31

Songs of Fellowship #36

Page Scan

Soul-stirring Songs and Hymns (Rev. ed.) #433

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #86

Text

The Celebration Hymnal #261

Text

The Celebration Hymnal #262

The Christian Life Hymnal #104

The Christian Life Hymnal #105

The Christmas Caroling Songbook, 2nd Edition #10

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #327

The Family Hymnal #39

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #101

Text

The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration #157

Text

The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration #158

Text

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #309a

Text

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #309b

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #22

TextPage Scan

The New National Baptist Hymnal (21st Century Edition) #96

Text

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #77

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #30

Page Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #31

Page Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #32

Text

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement II #20

Text

Together in Song #318

Text

Voices United #69

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

With Heart and Voice #80

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

With Heart and Voice #81

TextPage Scan

Worship (4th ed.) #437

TextPage Scan

Worship and Service Hymnal #39

Worship His Majesty #128

Worship His Majesty #129

TextPage Scan

Yes, Lord! #216

Text

生命聖詩 - Hymns of Life, 1986 #100

찬송과 예배 = Chansong gwa yebae = Come, Let Us Worship #157

Text

Lutheran Service Book #364

Text

Lutheran Service Book #365

TextFlexScorePage Scan

Santo, Santo, Santo #79

Text InfoTextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Glory to God #114

Text InfoTextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Glory to God #115

Text

Common Praise #45

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

Worship and Rejoice #203

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

Worship and Rejoice #205

Text

Ancient and Modern #60

Singing the Faith #191a

Singing the Faith #191b

TextPage Scan

Common Praise (1998) #126

TextPage Scan

Voices Together #257

Pages

Include 380 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us