It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
(Ka Po Laʻelaʻe Ka Hikina Mai)
Lyrics by Edmund H. Sears (1810-1876) Music by Richard S. Willis (1819-1900)
 

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth goodwill to men
From heavens's all gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing

 

Ka po laʻelaʻe ka hikina mai
Ia mele ʻoli nei
Mai na ʻānela a i ke ao
Hoʻokani mai lākou
He malu he aloha no
Mai ka Makua mai
He meha ma ke ao apau
Aloha no lākou

Mai loko mai o ke ao
A wehe aʻe na ʻēheu
A o na mele ke o mai la
I ke ao luhi nei
Maluna aʻe o ka honua
Kulou mai no lākou
Hoʻokani no a lohe ʻia
Ka leo o na ʻānela

 

Source: Kamehameha Schools IHS - Hawaiian lyrics by Edward Kahale The lyrics written in 1850 was set to music in 1851.