Christmas music

christmas music merrily wakes the echoes;
hark! hark! how it freights the air;
while the storm-king holds his wildest revels,
flings, flings snowdrifts everywhere;
from the belfry in the tower,
in the chapel on the hill,
harmony descends like silver shower,
or like sweetly flowing rill.

christmas music merrily wakes the echoes;
hark! hark! over the city’s streets;
pealing clearly while the snow is falling,
pure, pure covering all it meets;
the cathedral’s deep-toned thunder
joins a sweetly chiming bell,
and the passer, lost in joy and wonder,
lists what metal tongues can tell.

christmas music merrily wakes the echoes;
hark! hark! sounding far and near;
happy children lend their flute-like voices,
praise, praise christmas joy and cheer;
sweetest music of the heart-strings,
swept by fingers skilled by love,
gives to life a charm so true, endearing,
earth becomes like heav’n above.