1 O city fair, beyond the sea,
Fond mem’ry turns today to thee;
Dear Bethlehem, of thee we sing,
The birth place of our Lord and King.
Refrain:
O Bethlehem! dear Bethlehem!
Sweet spot beyond the sea;
O city fair! beyond compare,
Our thoughts are all of thee.
2 A manger was His lowly bed,
No pillow soft beneath His head;
The mighty Lord of sea and land,
No sceptre for His tiny hand. [Refrain]
3 The dearest place in all the earth,
The place that gave our Saviour birth,
Our fondest thoughts are all of thee,
O city fair, beyond the sea. [Refrain]
Source: Hymns We Love, for Sunday Schools and All Devotional Meetings #200
Ada Jane Blenkhorn Canada 1858-1927 Born in Cobourg, Ontario, the 10th of 11 children, she emigrated with her family to the U.S. In 1884 and settled in Cleveland, OH.. She was raised a Methodist, and began writing hymn lyrics at age 34. A prolific writer of hymn lyrics, she was about to give it up when a friend encouraged her to continue, telling her some soul might be saved by a hymn she would write. She worked for many years as secretary to her brother, Henry's, real estate company. After his death in 1923, she became president of the company. She never married.
John Perry
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