Mary Hale Woolsey (1899-1969) and Robert Sauer (1873-1944) are the same Mormon poet and composer team responsible for “Springtime in the Rockies” discussed in an earlier post.

This Christmas carol was published in the Young Woman’s Journal of December 1924.
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In the starlight, in the starlight,
Quaint and still, old Bethlehem lay,
Safely guarded ’neath the hillside,
In Judea, far away,
And in all that hallowed city,
Sleeping through the holy night,
There was none who knew the gladness
That should come with morning’s light.

In the starlight stood the shepherds,
With their flocks beside the hill,
When the angels sang hosannas,
Peace on earth, to men good will!
To the city then they hastened,
To the Babe upon the hay,
Him to worship and pay homage,
King of kings and Lord today.

In the starlight, desert starlight,
Came the wise men from afar,
Sought they, too, the child Redeemer,
Led unto him by a star,
Gifts they took to show Him honor,
Myrrh and frankincense and gold;
Worshiped Him, the world’s Messiah,
Whom the prophets had foretold.

In the starlight, Christmas starlight,
Tell to me the tale again,
Of the birth of Christ the Savior,
Jesus, son of God and man;
Let me honor, let me praise Him;
Let me all his words obey,
Who upon the hay lay sleeping,
On the morn of Christmas day.