God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen Large Print Lyrics: Free PDF
The words of God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen are here in large print, one sheet at 18, 24 or 28 point. The carol is traditional English, in print about 1760 and collected by William Sandys in 1833. They were published before 1930, so they are public domain in the US and free to copy.
| Words by | Traditional English carol, in print about 1760 |
|---|---|
| Text printed | William Sandys, 1833 |
| Music | Traditional English melody |
| Type size | 18, 24 or 28 pt |
| Paper | US Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 in, white or cream |
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen in large print: words and download
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).
The words above are set the way this site sets every song: left aligned, one column, plain type with no italics, and a blank line between stanzas. The sheet has 7 stanzas and 56 lines. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen is one of the songs in our large print Christmas carols collection, where you can print it with others in one PDF, and the whole set of texts is listed on the large print prayers and hymns page.
Who wrote God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen and when?
Wikipedia says the earliest known printed edition is a broadsheet dated about 1760, and that a manuscript version survives from the 1650s. The solicitor and antiquarian William Sandys is responsible for its popularity: he included it in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern in 1833, and our text is his.
Wikipedia notes that the historic meaning of the title phrase is may God grant you peace and happiness. The carol is mentioned in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) and in George Eliot's Silas Marner (1861). The tune is in a minor key, which gives the carol its distinctive sound.
When is God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen sung?
An 1824 magazine complained of ballad-singers bawling it in the London streets, so it has long been a street carol as much as a church one. It suits the whole of December. If you are planning a folder of songs for the same occasion, the sheets for The First Noel and We Three Kings use the same layout, so they sit well together.
How do you print God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen for a service, a sing-along or a care-home visit?
In our layout tests on US Letter paper, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen takes 3 pages at 18 point, 4 at 24 point and 7 at 28 point. On 11 x 17 paper at 24 point it takes 3 pages. Eighteen point is the smallest size we offer, because the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) says print below 18 point is not large print, and our page on what large print is explains the reasons for 18, 24 and 28 point.
For a service, print one sheet for each seat plus a few spares, since large print copies tend to be borrowed. For a sing-along, one sheet between two is enough on 11 x 17 paper at 24 point. For a care-home visit, print one for each resident and one for each helper, and slip them into sleeves you can wipe clean. Sandys prints the refrain once, so our sheet repeats it under every verse, which makes fifty-six lines in seven stanzas. Use a stapled booklet or ring binder rather than loose pages.