While Shepherds Watched

While shepherds watched

Their flocks by night

All seated on the ground

The angel of the Lord came down

And glory shone around

And glory shone around

"Fear not," he said,

For mighty dread

Had seized their troubled minds

"Glad tidings of great joy I bring

To you and all mankind,

To you and all mankind."

"To you in David's

Town this day

Is born of David's line

The Savior who is Christ the Lord

And this shall be the sign

And this shall be the sign."

"The heavenly Babe

You there shall find

To human view displayed

And meanly wrapped

In swathing bands

And in a manger laid

And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph,

And forthwith

Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God, who thus

Addressed their joyful song

Addressed their joyful song

"All glory be to

God on high

And to the earth be peace;

Goodwill henceforth

From heaven to men

Begin and never cease

Begin and never cease!"

Notes on While Shepherds Watched:

"While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (also known as "While Shepherds Watched" or "The Vision of the Shepherds") is a Christmas carol with words attributed to Irish hymnist, lyricist and Poet Laureate, Nahum Tate.

The exact date of Tate's composition is not known, but the words appeared in Tate and Nicholas Brady's 1700 supplement to their psalter, New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696. It was the only Christmas hymn authorised to be sung by the Anglican Church; before 1700 only the Psalms of David were permitted to be sung. It is written in common metre and based on the Gospel of Luke 2:8-14, although the gospel's "peace on earth to men of good will" is modified to the more encompassing "goodwill henceforth from heaven to men". It is the only one of the sixteen works in the 1700 supplement to still be sung today.