All hail, ye little martyr flowers,
Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ye fell as bloom before the wind.

First victims of the martyr bands,
With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Around the very altar, gay
And innocent, ye seem to play.

What profited this great offense?
What use was Herod’s violence?
A Babe survives that dreadful day,
And Christ is safely borne away.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, virgin born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet
To Father and to Paraclete.

Children of Jerusalem
Sang the praise of Jesus’ Name:
Children, too, of modern days
Join to sing the Savior’s praise.

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Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices sing,
Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices sing
Loud hosannas, loud hosannas,
Loud hosannas to our King.

We are taught to love the Lord,
We are taught to read His Word;
We are taught the way to Heav’n:
Praise for all to God be giv’n.

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Parents, teachers, old and young,
All unite to swell the song;
Higher and yet higher rise,
’Til hosannas fill the skies.

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Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Glory to Thee, O Lord,
Who, from this world of sin,
By cruel Herod’s ruthless sword
Those precious ones didst win.

Baptized in their own blood,
Earth’s untried perils o’er,
They passed unconsciously the flood,
And safely gained the shore.

Glory to Thee for all
The ransomed infant band,
Who, since that hour have heard Thy call,
And reached the quiet land.

O that our hearts within,
Like theirs, were pure and bright,
O that as free from stain of sin
We shrank not from Thy sight.

Lord, help us every hour
Thy cleansing grace to claim;
In life to glorify Thy power,
In death to praise Thy Name.

In paradise reposing,
By life’s eternal well,
The tender lambs of Jesus
In greenest pastures dwell.

There palms and tiny crownlets
Aglow with brightest gem,
Bedeck the baby martyrs
Who died in Bethlehem.

With them the rose-wreathed army
Of children undefiled,
Who passed through mortal torments
For love of Christ the Child;

With them in peace unending,
With them in joyous mirth,
Are all the stainless infants
Which since have gone from earth.

The angels, once their guardians,
Their fellows now in grace,
With them, in love adoring,
See God the Father’s face.

The lullaby to hush them
In that eternal rest,
Is sweet angelic singing,
Their nurses mothers blest.

O Jesu, loving Shepherd,
Who tenderly dost bear
Thy lambs in Thine own bosom,
Bring us to join them there.

Little children, rise and sing,
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
’Tis the birthday of our King,
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

In a stable far away
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
Christ was born that happy day,
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

Joyful shepherds kneeling there,
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
Saw the Babe and said in prayer,
‘Blessèd Child of Christmas.’

Bring your gifts to Mary’s Son
(Ring the bells of Christmas)
God’s own Gift to everyone;
Blessèd Child of Christmas.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Fair peace on earth to bring,
In lowly state of love He came
To be the children’s King.

And round Him, then, a holy band
Of children blest was born,
Fair guardians of His throne to stand
Attendant night and morn.

And unto them this grace was giv’n
A Savior’s Name to own,
And die for Him who out of Heav’n
Had found on earth a throne.

O blessèd babes of Bethlehem,
Who died to save our King,
Ye share the martyrs’ diadem,
And in their anthem sing!

Your lips, on earth that never spake,
Now sound th’eternal word;
And in the courts of love ye make
Your children’s voices heard.

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Child,
Make Thou our childhood Thine;
That we with Thee the meek and mild
May share the love divine.

Have ye been to Nazareth,
Lowly, yet so fair?
Yes, we sought His humble town,
Found our Master there!
Did He dwell in palace fair,
Holding kingly sway?
Nay, we found a Carpenter,
Toiling day by day!

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In life’s Nazareth we seek,
Christ, the Master meek,
In our toil from day to day,
Find our Lord for aye!

Did ye find at Nazareth,
Christ the Son of God?
Yea, He was the Son of Man,
Earthly paths He trod.
Did ye find a blessing there
Ever to abide?
Yea, by Him the toilsome tasks
E’er are glorified.

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Is there light from Nazareth,
Daily life to crown?
Yes, the glory streams afar,
Distant years adown.
Will the Lord of Nazareth,
Friend and Comrade be?
All unseen He dwells with us,
As in Galilee!

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