HYMNS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS 

 "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." ~ Luke 2:7  "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." ~ Luke 2:12  "And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger." ~ Luke 2:16

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,  
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.  
The stars in the sky— looked down from where He lay,  
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. 

The cattle are lowing; the baby awakes,  
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;  
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,  
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. 

One of the most famous Christmas Carols is Away In A Manger. It first appeared in the mid-1800’s. Although credit for the words was often given to Martin Luther, continuing research has disproven this. However, the authorship for the words is unknown.    

There seems to be consensus that Away In A Manger was first published in a Lutheran hymnal in the later 1800’s. Today, this beloved Christmas Carol is the number one Christmas Carol in Great Britan. In the United States it is in the top ten lists year after year.   

The earliest published versions of Away In A Manger had only two verses. In the late 1800’s, Dr. John T. McFarland wrote a third verse which quickly became included in hymnals, children’s hymnals, etc.    

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay  
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.  
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,  
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there. 

A children’s Christmas service would be incomplete without them singing Away In A Manger. Copyright of the words of Away In A Manger is in public domain, but many recordings and sheet music versions are copyrighted.