The words of this carol are translated from a Greek Christmas Eve service of worship used as early as the fourth or fifth century called the Liturgy of St. James. Some scholars believe this carol dates back to AD 60, the same time that Paul was writing Romans. This liturgy is believed to be perhaps the oldest liturgy developed for the church and is still used today in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was translated into English in 1864.¹ Below is a soulful version that aims to capture the awe and wonder of the incarnation.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the pow’rs of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

¹page 38 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church