it came upon a midnight clear that glorious song of old from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold peace on the earth goodwill to men from heavens all gracious king the world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing  still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled and still their heavenly music floats oer all the weary world above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing and ever oer its babel sounds the blessed angels sing  yet with woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong and man at war with man hears not the love song which they bring o hush the noise ye men of strife and hear the angels sing  for lo the days are hastening on by prophet bards foretold when with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendours fling and all the world send back the song which now the angels sing 