First Line: 
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Reference

Genre: 

About the Song

The words to the tune of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" were written by Phillip Brooks, an Episocalean priest in Philadelphia, inspired by a trip he had taken to Palestine in 1865. He asked his church organist, Lewis Redner, to write a tune to his words in the lead up to Christmas in 1868. This is the tune usually sung in the U.S. 

Ralph Vaughn Williams collected a traditional English song called "The Ploughboy's Dream" from an English laborer in Oakley, Surrey in 1903. He adapted this folk song adding harmony and titling his arrangement "Forest Green". Williams set Brooks' lyrics to his melody. These were first published in the English Hymnal in 1906. This is the melody usually sung in the UK, the Commonwealth, and many Episcopal churches in the U.S.

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

 

For Christ is born of Mary,
and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King
and peace to all the earth.

 

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray,
cast out our sin and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Immanuel!