Unknown writer

The First Noel

Summary


"The First Noel" is a traditional Christmas carol poem you can read free online, retelling the night of Christ's birth through vivid, reverent imagery. Shepherds keep watch in the winter cold when angels announce a king is born in Israel. A brilliant star rises in the East, drawing the shepherds to wonder — and guiding three wise men across distant lands toward Bethlehem, where the star finally comes to rest above the place where Jesus lay.

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The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep:

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They lookèd up and saw a star,
Shining in the east, beyond them far:
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night:

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with His blood mankind hath bought:

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Credits

Unknown writer is the credited author of this poem, as "The First Noel" is a traditional English Christmas carol whose precise origins remain uncertain, though it is believed to date back to at least the 13th century. The carol was notably published in a collection by William Sandys in 1823, helping to cement its place in the wider Christmas tradition. Its simple, repeated refrain and narrative verse structure made it one of the most enduring carols in the English-speaking world.
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