Once in Royal David's City Lyrics Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848
Sung to Irby (8.7.8.7.7.7), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Once in royal David’s City,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
Verse 2. He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour Holy.
Verse 3. And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His Own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heaven above;
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
Verse 4. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven,
Set at God’s right Hand on high,
When like stars His children crowned,
All in white, shall wait around.
Where each verse comes from
The selected text has a US witness in Carols Old and Carols New (Boston, 1916), carol 576; selected stanzas 1, 2, 5 and 6. Earlier editions document the text's history. Capitalization and punctuation follow the page's earlier copy text.
| Verse | Printed in |
|---|---|
| 1 Once in royal David’s City |
|
| 2 He came down to earth from Heaven |
|
| 3 And our eyes at last shall see Him |
|
| 4 Not in that poor lowly stable |
|
Left out here: stanza 3, “And through all His wondrous childhood” and stanza 4, “For He is our childhood’s Pattern” . Many hymnals leave it out.
Every verse was published before 1931, so the words are in the public domain in the United States. Your church may print, project and sing this text. Later arrangements and recordings have their own rights.
Words: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848. Public domain.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind Once in Royal David's City
Cecil Frances Alexander wrote Hymns for Little Children to teach Christian belief. She placed this hymn beneath the creed's words about Christ's conception and birth.
The collection first appeared in 1848. The fourth edition of 1850 prints six stanzas, and Henry John Gauntlett supplied the tune IRBY in 1849.
Alexander starts with Mary and Jesus in a cattle shed. She names the child as God and Lord, then looks ahead to his people seeing him in heaven.
Cecil Frances Alexander
1818 to 1895
Cecil Frances Alexander was an Irish hymn writer. She published Hymns for Little Children in 1848. That collection includes Once in Royal David's City, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and There Is a Green Hill Far Away.
- Hymns for Little Children, fourth edition , read 2026-10-23
- Once in Royal David's City, dated hymnal transcriptions and scans , read 2026-10-23
- Cecil Frances Alexander, Hymnology Archive , read 2026-10-23
- Once in royal David's city, Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology , read 2026-10-23
- Luke 2 (King James Version) , read 2026-10-23
- John 1 (King James Version) , read 2026-10-23
Scripture in Once in Royal David's City
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Luke 2:4-7 In verse 1 of the hymn
- John 1:14 In verse 2 of the hymn
Once in Royal David's City videos
-
Once in Royal David's City / Carols from King's 2013 KingsCollegeChoir, Choir
-
Once in Royal David's City | The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Choir
-
Once in Royal David's City 2019 Libera Official, Choir
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Print and project
For Sunday
- Slides for Once in Royal David's City Every verse. Full screen, or a PowerPoint file that ProPresenter and Keynote open.
- Printable song sheet Every verse of Once in Royal David's City on a folded letter-size booklet, with your church's name on the cover.
- Add it to a bulletin Opens the bulletin maker with Once in Royal David's City in the order of service.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Once in Royal David's City?
Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the words. Henry John Gauntlett composed IRBY.
When did the hymn appear?
Cecil Frances Alexander published it in Hymns for Little Children in 1848. Henry John Gauntlett wrote the tune IRBY in 1849.
How many verses did Alexander write?
Six. Many hymnals print four, stanzas 1, 2, 5 and 6, and this page follows them.
Which city is royal David's city?
Bethlehem. Luke 2:4 calls it the city of David.
What does the hymn teach?
Alexander names the child born to Mary as God and Lord. She describes his human life and the hope of seeing him in heaven.
Is this text public domain?
Yes. All six stanzas were in print by 1850, so the words are in the public domain in the United States.
On this page