Once In Royal David’s City Lyrics
Cecil Frances Alexander
1 Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor and mean and lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.
3 And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love,
for that child, so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heav’n above,
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.
4 Not in that poor, lowly stable
with the oxen standing by
we shall see him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high.
Then like stars his children crowned,
all in white, his praise will sound.
Once In Royal David’s City History
Cecil Francis Alexander is the author of this Christmas carol, Once In Royal David’s History. It was originally written as a poem and not as a hymn.
It is one of Cecil Alexander’s 1848 collection of poems. The inspiration for this poem, now song, was the Apostle’s Creed. If you are familiar with the Apostle’s Creed you will be aware of the line, ‘….. born of the virgin Mary’.
In the United Kingdom, this carol is the opening hymn in the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols that is broadcast from King’s College Chapel on Christmas. This has been the case since 1919.
Below are some more Christmas Carols and their stories: –
Once In Royal David’s City Hymn YouTube Video
Below is a video featuring the King’s College choir, Cambridge singing, Once In Royal David’s City.
"Katika kitabu cha ""The City of David"" cha Cecil Francis Alexander, mwandishi wa vitabu vya Biblia, anasema: ""Katika mji wa Daudi kulikuwa na kibanda cha mifugo, ambapo mama mmoja alimlaza mtoto wake katika kibanda ili awe kitanda chake." 2 Yeye aliyeshuka kutoka mbinguni hadi duniani, ambaye ni Mungu na Bwana wa wote; na makao yake yalikuwa ngome, na kitanda chake kilikuwa kibanda; pamoja na maskini na wa hali ya chini na wa hali ya chini, aliishi duniani Mkombozi wetu mtakatifu. 3 Na macho yetu hatimaye yatamwona, kwa upendo wake mwenyewe wa ukombozi, kwa sababu mtoto huyo, mpendwa na mpole sana, ni Bwana wetu mbinguni juu, na anawaongoza watoto wake mahali ambapo amekwenda. 4 Hatuoni katika kibanda hicho cha hali ya chini, na ng'ombe wakisimama karibu, bali katika mbingu, ameketi upande wa kulia wa Mungu juu. Kisha kama nyota watoto wake waliopakwa taji, wote katika nyeupe, sifa yake itasikika. Wakati mmoja katika Historia ya Jiji la Royal David Cecil Francis Alexander ni mwandishi wa wimbo huu wa Krismasi, Wakati mmoja katika Historia ya Royal David. Mwanzoni iliandikwa kama shairi wala si kama wimbo wa nyimbo. "Kutoka kwa mshairi Cecil Alexander, ""Mwanamke wa kwanza wa Uingereza,"" kitabu cha mashairi ya 1848." Ushawishi wa shairi hili, ambalo sasa ni wimbo, ulikuwa Imani ya Mitume. Kama unafahamu Imani ya Mitume utakuwa na ufahamu wa mstari, <unk>..... alizaliwa na bikira Maria<unk>. Katika Uingereza, wimbo huu ni wimbo wa ufunguzi katika Huduma ya Masomo Tisa na Wimbo ambao hutolewa kutoka King's College Chapel wakati wa Krismasi. Hii imekuwa ikitokea tangu mwaka 1919. "Kama ilivyoonyeshwa kwenye video ya kwanza ya ""Once In Royal David's City"" ya King's College choir, Cambridge, Uingereza."