“Hark! the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born King'” is a Christmas carol full of the Bible and of the mystery of the Incarnation. Charles Wesley wrote it in 1739, and it is sung today to a melody by Felix Mendelssohn. Below are the lyrics, the story of the carol, the Scripture behind its lines, and a prayer.
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing lyrics
As printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920):
Hark! The herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on Earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!’
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!’
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Come, Desire of Nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell;
Jesus, Our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!’
Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth;
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!’
The story of the carol
Charles Wesley (1707–1788), the Anglican priest and brother of John Wesley, published a “Hymn for Christmas-Day” in 1739. It began “Hark how all the welkin rings,” using an old word for the sky. In 1753 the preacher George Whitefield changed the opening to the line we know, and other editors made further changes over the years.
The music came a century later. Felix Mendelssohn wrote a cantata in 1840 to celebrate the printing press, and the English musician William H. Cummings later fitted Wesley’s words to one of its choruses. The pairing has been sung ever since.
The Scripture behind the carol
The first lines retell the night of Christ’s birth:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:
Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.
The Church sings these words of the angels in the Gloria at Mass. Other lines draw on the prophets:
- “Come, Desire of Nations, come” recalls Aggeus 2:8, “the desired of all nations shall come.”
- “Hail the Sun of Righteousness… Risen with healing in his wings” recalls Malachias 4:2, “the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings.”
- “Jesus, Our Emmanuel” means “God with us” (Isaias 7:14; Matthew 1:23).
What the carol means
- The Incarnation: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’Incarnate Deity.” Jesus is true God and true man, a mystery the Church celebrates at Christmas.
- Reconciliation: “God and sinners reconciled!” Christ came to restore our friendship with God.
- Humility: “Mild he lays his glory by.” The eternal Son became a little child.
- New life: “Born that man no more may die… Born to give them second birth.” Christ’s birth leads to our rebirth in Baptism and to eternal life.
A prayer for Christmas
Written for this page:
Glory to you, new-born King, Prince of Peace and Sun of Justice.
You laid your glory by to dwell with us and reconcile us to the Father.
Fix your humble home in my heart,
heal me with the light of your coming,
and give me the joy of the angels who sang at your birth. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Hark! the Herald Angels Sing?
Charles Wesley wrote the original hymn in 1739. George Whitefield and others revised it, and the tune is adapted from Felix Mendelssohn.
What does “herald angels” mean?
A herald announces news. The angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Luke 2:8–14).
What does “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see” mean?
That in the baby Jesus, God himself is present, hidden in our human nature.
More for Christmas
- Christmas carols: lyrics and stories
- Joy to the World
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Silent Night
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- Christmas Mass
- Catholic Christmas prayers
Texts and sources
- Lyrics: Charles Wesley (1739), as altered, printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), no. 32, public domain (Wikisource). Misprints corrected: “Born that man no more may die,” “Sun of Righteousness,” “new-born King.”
- Scripture: Luke 2:13–14; Aggeus 2:8; Malachias 4:2; Isaias 7:14; Matthew 1:23, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.