When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the men from the east go home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
then the work of Christmas begins:
      to find the lost,to feed the hungry,
      to free the prisoner,to redeem the nations,
      to bring peace among the peoples,
      to make music in the heart.

When the carols have all died away,
when the lights on the tree are dimmed,
when the presents have all been unwrapped,
when the seasonal greetings have stopped,
then the work of Christmas begins:

When the anthems for New Year have ceased,
when the fireworks have sparkled their last,
when the tinsel and trimmings are shelved,
when the workplace is beckoning back,
then the work of Christmas begins: