There’s a Song in the Air

Summary


"There's a Song in the Air" is a Christmas poem that fills every line with the jubilant wonder of the night Christ was born. Holland paints a radiant scene: a star raining fire over Bethlehem, a mother's prayer, a baby's cry, and a song of joy sweeping across the world. Stanza by stanza, the celebration grows from a single manger to every hearthside in every nation, building to a triumphant greeting of the newborn King.

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There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!

A glowing star lights the Bethlehem manger as angels sing above — scene from "There's a Song in the Air"

There’s a tumult of joy o’er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin’s sweet Boy is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!

In the light of that star lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!

We rejoice in the light, and we echo the song
That comes down through the night from the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Savior and King!

Credits

Josiah G. Holland was a 19th-century American poet, novelist, and editor best known for his popular verse and his founding of Scribner's Monthly magazine. "There's a Song in the Air" became one of the most beloved American Christmas hymns, later set to music and sung in congregations across the country.