Common Praise ‎#85

85. Earth has many a noble city

1 Earth has many a noble city;
Bethl'hem, thou dost all excel:
out of thee the Lord from heaven
came to rule his Israel.

2 Fairer than the sun at morning
was the star that told his birth,
to the world its God announcing
seen in fleshly form on earth.

3 Eastern sages at his cradle
make oblations rich and rare;
see them give in deep devotion,
gold and frankincense and myrrh.

4 Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
incense doth their God disclose,
gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
myrrh his sepulcher foreshows.

5 Jesu, whom the Gentiles worshipped
at thy glad Epiphany,
unto thee with God the Father
and the Spirit glory be.

Text Information

• First Line: Earth has many a noble city
• Author: Prudentius, 348-c. 413
• Translator: Edward Caswall, 1814-1878
• Meter: 87 87
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2000
• Scripture:
  John 19:38-42
  ;
  Matthew 2:1-12
  ;
  Psalm 103:1
  ;
  Revelation 17:14
• Topic: Epiphany

Tune Information

• Name: STUTTGART
• Meter: 87 87
• Key: G Major
• Source: C. F. Witt's Harmonia Sacra, Gotha, 1715 (adapted)