Gather around the Christmas tree!
Gather around the Christmas tree!
Evergreen have its branches been,
It is king of all the woodland scene;
For Christ our King is born today!
His reign shall never pass away.

Refrain

Hosanna, hosanna,
Hosanna in the highest!

Gather around the Christmas tree!
Gather around the Christmas tree!
Once the pride of the mountainside,
Now cut down to grace our Christmastide;
For Christ from Heav’n to earth came down,
To gain, through death, a nobler crown.

Refrain

Gather around the Christmas tree!
Gather around the Christmas tree!
Every bough bears a burden now—
They are gifts of love for us, we trow;
For Christ is born, His love to show,
And give good gifts to men below.

Refrain

Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
Farewell to thee, O Christmas tree!
Twelve months o’er, we shall meet once more,
Merry welcome singing, as of yore,
For Christ now reigns, our Savior dear,
And gives us Christmas every year!

Refrain

Object of all our knowledge here,
Our one Desire, and Hope below,
Jesus, the Crucified, draw near,
And with Thy sad disciples go:
Our thoughts and words to Thee are known,
We commune of Thyself alone.

How can it be, our reason cries,
That God should leave His throne above?
Is it for man th’Immortal dies?
For man, who tramples on His love?
For man, who nailed Him to the tree?
O Love! O God! He dies for me!

Why then, if Thou for me hast died,
Dost Thou not yet Thyself impart?
We hoped to feel Thy blood applied,
To find Thee risen in our heart,
Redeemed from all iniquity,
Saved, to the utmost saved, thro’ Thee.

Have we not then believed in vain,
By Christ unsanctified, unfreed?
In us He is not ris’n again,
We know not but He still is dead,
No life, no righteousness we have,
Our hopes seem buried in His grave.

Ah! Lord, if Thou indeed art ours,
If Thou for us hast burst the tomb,
Visit us with Thy quickening powers,
Come to Thy mournful followers, come,
Thyself to Thy weak members join,
And fill us with the life divine.

Thee, the great Prophet sent from God,
Mighty in deed and word we own;
Thou hast on some the grace bestowed,
Thy rising in their hearts made known;
They publish Thee to life restored,
Attesting they have seen the Lord.

Alas for us, whose eyes are held!
Why cannot we our Savior see?
With us Thou art yet still concealed:
O might we hear one word from Thee!
Speak, and to our unbelief reprove,
Our baseness to mistrust Thy love.

Fools as we are, and slow of heart,
So backward to believe the Word!
The Prophets’ only aim Thou art:
They sang the sufferings of their Lord,
Thy life for ours a ransom given,
Thy rising to ensure our Heaven.

Ought not our Lord the death to die,
And then the glorious life to live?
To stoop; and then to go up on high?
The pain, and then the joy receive?
His blood, the purchase price lay down,
Endure the cross, and claim the crown?

Ought not the members all to pass
The way their Head had passed before?
Thro’ sufferings perfected He was,
The garment dipped in blood He wore,
That we with Him might die, and rise
And bear His nature to the skies!