Away in the Manger
A Popular Christmas Carol

Away in the Manger is a beautiful hymn that has become so popular and are being sung and hummed by people all over the world especially around Christmas time. Young and old love this expressive tune.

You will hear it being played throughout most shopping malls together with other lively Christmas carols; amazingly giving shoppers that joyful and exuberant feeling of festive cheer even though we are singing about a baby who has 'no crib for a bed'.

To print, just highlight the words of this famous Christian Christmas song / hymn and copy and paste into your word editor or your Powerpoint slide.

On Christmas eve, it's being sang by carol singers from churches along the streets and in homes.

And come Christmas day, Christians in churches will sing this popular Christmas carol with much heartfelt gratitude for the One who came as a babe and born in a manger to save the world from their sins.

Who Wrote This Carol?

No one know who wrote the first two stanzas of this Christmas carol. But a third stanza was added to it by John Thomas McFarland (1851-1913) at a later date.

Away in the Manger

Lyrics 1-2: ~ Anonymous, 3 ~ John Thomas McFarland, 1851-1913
Music ~ James R. Murray, 1841-1905



Stanza 1:

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.



Stanza 2:

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;

I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.



Stanza 3:

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.


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Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!

~ Psalm 147:1


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