Peace on Earth, Good-will to Men ~GregJ

It's rare that I get quite so emotional as I did with the attached video. This may have to do with visiting this year so many American civil war battlefields near my northern Virginia location.

The song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" uses an 1863 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Longfellow was a Harvard professor who had toured Europe apparently to learn to translate eight languages. He left academe, becoming a versatile, lyrics-slinging poet/rockstar.

Here was a man who had lost first wife Mary to miscarriage and second wife Frances to a fire that scarred his own face and body.  Here was a dedicated abolitionist and pacifist whose son joined the Union Army. Said son took a bullet to the spine, and now in December 1863 was back home in Massachusetts being nursed to health by his father.  Here was a man who on December 25, 1863 wrote the following verses mixing pain and resolve.

---

1.  I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

2.  And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

3.  Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

[Verses 4 & 5 are omitted from most recent presentations.]

4. Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

5.  It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

6.  And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

7.  Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.

Luke chapter 2 verses 10-14

 But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid!
Listen carefully,
for I proclaim to you good news
that brings great joy
to all the people:

Today your Savior is born in the city of David.
He is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign for you:
   You will find a baby
   wrapped in strips of cloth
   and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth
peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

New English Translation and others
Rocks ... Longfellow Bio ... Charlie ...  Quotes ... Movie ... SATB