Home › Hymns › O Chief of Cities Bethlehem
The Open Hymnal · No. 121 · Words: Prudentius (348–413); tr. Smithers, Douglas & Bute (1879) · Tune: Puer Nobis Nascitur
O Chief of Cities Bethlehem
Create PowerPoint slides from this hymn →A Christmas and Epiphany hymn drawn from a 4th-century Latin poem by the Spanish Christian poet Prudentius, celebrating Christ's birth in Bethlehem and the adoration of the Magi. The commonly sung English version is assembled from 19th-century translations by Smithers, Bute, and C. W. Douglas.
Verse 1
O chief of cities, Bethlehem,
Of David's crown the fairest gem,
But more to us than David's name,
In you, as man, the Savior came.
Verse 2
Beyond the sun in splendor bright,
Above you stands a wondrous light Proclaiming from the conscious skies That here,
in flesh, the Godhead lies.
Verse 3
The wise men, seeing Him so fair,
Bow low before Him,
and with prayer Their treasured eastern gifts unfold Of incense,
myrrh, and royal gold.
Verse 4
The golden tribute owns Him King,
But frankincense to God they bring,
And last, prophetic sign, with myrrh,
They shadow forth His sepulcher.
Verse 5
O Jesus, whom the Gentiles see,
With Father, Spirit, One in Three:
To You, O God,
be glory giv'n By saints on earth and saints in Heav'n.
Appears in these collections
O Chief of Cities Bethlehem is in the public domain. Make a free PowerPoint, PDF, or image set for church projection with Song Slides — no signup.