Before The Paling Of The Stars by Christina Rossetti: Full Text of the Poem

Before The Paling Of The Stars

by Christina Rossetti

Victorian · Medium · 23 linesnaturefaith

Before the winter morn, Before the earliest cock crow, Jesus Christ was born: Born in a stable, Cradled in a manger, In the world his hands had made Born a stranger. Priest and king lay fast asleep In Jerusalem; Young and old lay fast asleep In crowded Bethlehem; Saint and angel, ox and ass, Kept a watch together Before the Christmas daybreak In the winter weather. Jesus on his mother's breast In the stable cold, Spotless lamb of God was he, Shepherd of the fold: Let us kneel with Mary maid, With Joseph bent and hoary, With saint and angel, ox and ass, To hail the King of Glory.

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Public domain. Source: PoetryDB. Reproduced verbatim; see theanthology for the full collection.

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