“Away in a Manger”

Monday, December 21, 2015 

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;

The stars in the sky look down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. 

            This beloved song is one of the first Christmas carols that many of us learn as children.  Tradition has it that Martin Luther wrote the words to this song and sang its simple tune to his children every night before they went to bed.  As its popularity spread, German mothers and fathers rocked their infants to sleep, singing or humming its three short, easy to learn verses.  However, traditions are sweet, but not always accurate!

Actually, this song had its origin in the United States, but it was to a different tune.  A man named James R. Murray published the first two verses of this carol.  He was also the one who circulated the story about Luther.  It was Murray who promoted this Christmas carol across America, but the tune that we now associate it with was provided by J. E. Clark.  It is not known who wrote the first two verses to “Away in a Manger,” and they remain anonymous to this day.  The third verse was written by a prolific hymn writer, Charles Hutchinson Gabriel.  (He wrote “Higher Ground,” among more than 700 other sacred songs!)  Over the next twenty years, “Away in a Manger,” in its three-verse version as well as the story about Luther being the author, grew tremendously in popularity.  The true writer of the words never came forward to claim her or his accomplishment.

            Because the United States did not like the Germans during the two world wars, they altered the words.  The bitterness soon eased, and the original words were used once again as the popularity of this Christmas carol spread across the world.  While the song’s lyrical origins are shrouded in mystery, the original event that it conveys is known by virtually every Christian and many non-Christians as well. 

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;

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

And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

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

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

Bless all the dear children in your tender care,

And fit us for heaven, to live with you there.