Large Print Christmas Carols: Free Printable Lyrics PDF
Print the lyrics of 12 Christmas carols in large type, including Silent Night, O Come, All Ye Faithful and Away in a Manger. Choose one carol or the full set in a free PDF. The sheets have words only, at 18, 24 or 28 point on Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 paper.
Printable details
| Songs | Silent Night, Joy to the World, Away in a Manger and more |
|---|---|
| One carol or all 12; each carol starts on a new page | |
| Type size | 18, 24 or 28 pt |
| Paper | US Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 in |
| Rights | Words published 1929 or earlier, public domain in the US |
Christmas carol lyrics and individual PDFs
Silent Night
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
sleep in Heavenly peace!
sleep in Heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from Heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, Love's pure light
radiant, beams from Thy Holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Words: Joseph Mohr (written 1816). Music: Franz Xaver Gruber (1818). Public domain in the United States: words published 1859 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
O sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above;
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.
Words: Latin hymn Adeste fideles, earliest surviving manuscript by John Francis Wade (1751). Music: John Francis Wade (1751 manuscript). Public domain in the United States: English words translated 1841, this wording in print 1852 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love
And wonders, and wonders of his love.
Words: Isaac Watts (1719). Music: Lowell Mason, arr. from Handel (1836). Public domain in the United States: words published 1719 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on Earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!'
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Hark! the herald angels sing,
'Glory to the new born king!'
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Come, Desire of Nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th'Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell;
Jesus, Our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
'Glory to the new born king!'
Hail, the heav'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth;
Hark! the herald angels sing,
'Glory to the new born king!'
Words: Charles Wesley (1739), altered by George Whitefield (1753) and others. Music: Felix Mendelssohn (1840), arr. William H. Cummings (1855). Public domain in the United States: words published 1753 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth,
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together,
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth!
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Words: Phillips Brooks (1868). Music: Lewis H. Redner (1868). Public domain in the United States: words published 1868 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
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 heaven'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 heavenly wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way,
With painful steps and slow,
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Words: Edmund H. Sears (1849). Music: Richard Storrs Willis (1850). Public domain in the United States: words published 1849 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger,
No crib for his 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 in the hay.
The cattle are lowing,
The poor baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
No crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus,
Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side
Until morning is nigh.
Words: Anonymous (1885). Music: James R. Murray (1887), the tune printed in this source. Public domain in the United States: words published 1885 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
The First Noel
THE first nowell the angel did say
Was to three poor shepherds in the fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
In a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the north-west,
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then did they know assuredly
Within that house the King did lie;
One entered in then for to see,
And found the Babe in poverty.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then enter'd in those wise men three,
Most reverently upon their knee,
And offer'd there, in His presence,
Both gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Between an ox-stall and an ass,
This child truly there born He was;
For want of clothing they did Him lay
All in the manger, among the hay.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then let us all, with one accord,
Sing praises to our Heavenly Lord,
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Words: Traditional English carol, in print by 1823; text as printed by William Sandys (1852). Music: Traditional English melody, harmonized by John Stainer (1871). Public domain in the United States: words in print by 1823 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
We Three Kings of Orient Are
We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Words: John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1857). Music: John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1857). Public domain in the United States: words written 1857, published 1863 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
In Bethlehem in Jury
This blessed babe was born,
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn;
The which his mother Mary
Nothing did take in scorn.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came,
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
Fear not, then said the Angel,
Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of virtue, power, and might;
So frequently to vanquish all
The friends of Satan quite.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
The Shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind.
And left their flocks a feeding
In tempest, storm, and wind.
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessed babe to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereas this infant lay,
They found him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay,
His mother Mary kneeling
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
Words: Traditional English carol, in print about 1760; text as printed by William Sandys (1833). Music: Traditional English melody (published 1833). Public domain in the United States: words in print about 1760, this text 1833 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas look'd out,
On the Feast of Stephen;
When the snow lay round about,
Deep, and crisp, and even:
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath'ring winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes' fountain.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine,
Bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine,
When we bear them thither,
Page and monarch forth they went,
Forth they went together:
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart I know not how;
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Words: John Mason Neale (1853). Music: Traditional spring carol melody Tempus adest floridum (Piae Cantiones, 1582), arr. Thomas Helmore (1853). Public domain in the United States: words published 1853 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
The second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
The twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve lords a leaping,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.
Words: Traditional English, as printed in J. O. Halliwell, The Nursery Rhymes of England (5th edition, 1886). Music: Traditional English (arranged by Frederic Austin, 1909). Public domain in the United States: words printed 1886 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
Which Christmas carols are on this page?
Each carol below has its own section and its own download. The table gives the author and a date for the words: the year of first publication where a source gives it, and otherwise the year they were written. Every date is well before 1929, which is how we decided each one was safe to include.
| Carol | Words |
|---|---|
| Silent Night | Joseph Mohr, written 1816; English words John Freeman Young, 1859 |
| O Come, All Ye Faithful | Latin hymn attributed to John Francis Wade, first printed 1751; English words Frederick Oakeley, 1841, in print 1852 |
| Joy to the World | Isaac Watts, 1719 |
| Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley, 1739; altered by George Whitefield, 1753 |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem | Phillips Brooks, 1868 |
| It Came Upon the Midnight Clear | Edmund H. Sears, 1849 |
| Away in a Manger | Anonymous; earliest known printing 1882, our text follows 1885 |
| The First Noel | Traditional English carol, in print by 1823 |
| We Three Kings | John Henry Hopkins Jr., written 1857, published 1863 |
| God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen | Traditional English carol, in print about 1760 |
| Good King Wenceslas | John Mason Neale, 1853 |
| The Twelve Days of Christmas | Traditional English; printed in Halliwell, The Nursery Rhymes of England, 1886 |
We print the words only, without music. Carols are sung in many slightly different versions, so if your congregation sings a variation, check the sheet against the book you use before you hand it out.
Every carol in the selector has its own lyrics section with a download beside it. Silent Night, Joy to the World, O Little Town of Bethlehem, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and Away in a Manger also have a page of their own with the story of the carol and a single printable sheet, as do the older English carols We Three Kings and God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. For a reading to go with the carols, print the large print Christmas story from Luke 2.
How do I print the carol words, one carol or a whole booklet?
Choose a carol in the selector and check its preview before downloading. Select All 12 carols for one PDF of the full collection, with each carol starting on a new page; printed single-sided and stapled at the corner, it makes a simple carol booklet. Longer carols and larger type can take several pages. The preview shows the actual page count for your settings; print at Actual size or 100%.
Use 18 point as the smallest size. The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) says a document is not large print below that. For a group singing together, 24 point is a better choice, because people hold the sheet at a distance and share the light. Use 28 point for a reader who has more advanced sight loss. Our page about what large print is explains where those numbers come from.
The lines are set left aligned, in one column, in plain type with no italics, with each verse separated by a blank line so the eye can find its place. Choose the cream background if white paper glares. Choose matte paper, and print single-sided if the paper is thin.
If a carol you need is not here, copy your own words into the large print maker and print them the same way. Check first that the words are free to use.
How can I use these carol sheets in a service or activity room?
For a carol service, choose 24 point and check the page count on the paper your printer takes. Set a few copies aside for people who ask. Do not make the large print copy a special or separate thing. Put it in a folder at the door with the ordinary order of service, so nobody has to ask.
In a care home or activity room, a carol sing-along works best with songs people already know. Give each person a sheet for the first carol and change the sheet as you move on. Read the first line aloud before you begin, then let the group carry it. Keep the sheets in plastic sleeves or a ring binder and they will last through the whole of December. If you keep a plan for the month, add each sing-along to the large print calendar so residents and families know the day.
If the group also sings hymns during the year, the large print hymns page has words for old favorites in the same layout, so one folder can hold both. Each carol also has its own page, such as Silent Night in large print and Joy to the World in large print, and more are gathered under large print prayers and hymns.
The saved PDF can be printed again for extra copies. Match the print window to the PDF paper size so the type stays at the size you chose.
Are these Christmas carols in the public domain?
In the United States, yes, for the words we list. A work published in the United States before 1931 is out of copyright, as of 2026. We are stricter than that. We use only words first published in 1929 or earlier, and we show the author and a date in the table above so you can check.
A hymn or carol has separate parts, the words, the tune and the arrangement, and each has its own date. The United Methodist Church explains that if any part is dated 1930 or later, or has been renewed, the piece as published is still under copyright. That is why we print words only and do not print modern arrangements. A recent translation or a modern rewording of an old carol can also be protected, even when the original is not.
The rules are different outside the United States, where copyright often lasts for the life of the author plus seventy years. If you are copying carols outside the US, check your own law.
This is information, not legal advice. If you rely on a carol for a purpose beyond personal, church or activity-room use, check its history yourself first.