What was the first christmas song?

Answer 1

December 5, 2001

Doug Floyd



Here is an ancient Christmas song. I found it in a Bruderhof book called Behold that Star! There is a footnote that it is the oldest known Christmas song, but I have been unable to verify that and have found little information on it.



One Star Above All Stars



One start above all stars shone down from heaven afar,

It shone into our night,

It shone into our night.

The sun must yield before it,

The moon is dim and pallid,

Before such radiant light,

Before such radiant light.



To be a child of man

Down to the earth God came,

To make anew the life,

To make anew the life.

And death he came to conquer

For this sang all creation,

And earth and heaven rejoiced,

And earth and heaven rejoiced.



And when the nations had seen

This star in heaven risen,

So wondrous bright and clear

So wondrous bright and clear

As none the skies contained,

Their hearts with wonder trembled

In awe of things to come,

In awe of things to come.



Then in all lands are loosened

The chains and bonds of evil

Then breaketh every spell

Then breaketh every spell

Light cometh into darkness

The old rule then is shattered

In glory comes his kingdom

In glory comes his kingdom.



Anonymous. ?One Star Above All Stars.? Behold that Star! Edited by the Bruderhofs. Farmington, PA: The Plough Publishing Company, 1996. 146.