A Christmas Carol for Children
By Martin Luther
Good news from heaven the angels bring,
In my distress Thou cam’st to me:
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
What thanks shall I return to Thee?
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.
Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
She yet were far too poor to be
Who in all need shall aid afford:
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
He will Himself our Saviour be,
From sin and sorrow set us free.
Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child!
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
To us that blessedness He brings,
Within my heart, that it may be
Which from the Father’s bounty springs:
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
That in the heavenly realm we may
With Him enjoy eternal day.
Praise God upon His heavenly throne,
Who gave to us His only Son:
All hail, Thou noble Guest, this morn,
For this His hosts, on joyful wing,
Whose love did not the sinner scorn!
A blest New Year of mercy sing.
In my distress Thou cam’st to me:
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
What thanks shall I return to Thee?
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.
Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
She yet were far too poor to be
Who in all need shall aid afford:
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
He will Himself our Saviour be,
From sin and sorrow set us free.
Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child!
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
To us that blessedness He brings,
Within my heart, that it may be
Which from the Father’s bounty springs:
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
That in the heavenly realm we may
With Him enjoy eternal day.
Praise God upon His heavenly throne,
Who gave to us His only Son:
All hail, Thou noble Guest, this morn,
For this His hosts, on joyful wing,
Whose love did not the sinner scorn!
A blest New Year of mercy sing.
Christmas Resources
Music
"Good King Wenceslas"
This Christmas carol was written by John Mason Neale and tells the story of Wenceslas, who lived in the 900s. The true story of Wenceslas is in Countdown to Christmas by Amy Puetz. PDF with the sheet music and words Musical version 1 Musical version 2 Jazzy version "White Christmas" Listen to Bing Crosby sing this timeless classic. Scroll down and under Audio Files click on the link that says "Bing Crosby - White Christmas 1942." "White Christmas" Listen to some of the songs from the movie White Christmas Songs from White Christmas A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens If you have never read this wonderful classic, let this be the year you do. This story is so moving I've decided to make it a tradition to read or listen to it each year. Librivox has a captivating audio version of it. Here is the text if you want to read it. With illustrations |
Classics For Kids
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Traditional Christmas Classical Music Georges Bizet: Christmas Carols in Classical Music Ralph Vaughan Williams: Christmas Carols in Classical Music Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Ballet on Classics for Kids Classics for Kids has a great Activity Sheet to go with these programs.
Traditional Christmas Classical Music podcast from the program Classics for Kids Classics for Kids: Ralph Vaughan Williams and Fantasia on Greensleeves Classics for Kids has a fun Activity Sheet to accompany this program. Classical Christmas Carols for Kids podcast If you can’t remember the words or tune to a Christmas carol, chances are you’ll find both on Net Hymnal, which provides words and musical recordings for over 400 Christmas carols. |