- A poor orphan girl named Maria
- Was walking to market one day
- She stopped for to rest by the roadside
- Where a bird with a broken wing lay
- A few moments passed till she saw it
- For its feathers were covered with sand
- And soon cleaned and wrapped it was traveling
- In the warmth of Maria’s small hand
- She happily gave her last peso
- On a cage made of rushes and twine
- She fed it loose corn from the market
- And watched it grow stronger with time
- Now the gift-giving service was coming
- And the church shone with tinsel and light
- And all of the townfolk brought presents
- To lay by the manger that night
- There where diamonds, incense and perfume
- And packages fit for a king
- But for one ragged bird in a small cage
- Maria had nothing to bring
- She waited till just before midnight
- So no one would see her go in
- And crying she knelt by the manger
- For her gift was unworthy of him
- Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
- “Maria, what brings you to me?
- If the bird in the cage is your offering
- Open the door, let me see”
- So she trembled, she did as he asked her
- And out of the cage the bird flew
- Soaring up into the rafters
- On a wing that had healed good as new
- Just then the midnight bells rang out
- And the little bird started to sing
- A song that no words could recapture
- For its beauty was fit for a king
- Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
- To that cascade of notes sweet and long
- As her offering was lifted to heaven
- By the very first nightingale’s song
- [00:00.05]A poor orphan girl named Maria
- [00:00.10]Was walking to market one day
- [00:00.00]She stopped for to rest by the roadside
- [00:00.00]Where a bird with a broken wing lay
- [00:00.00]A few moments passed till she saw it
- [00:00.00]For its feathers were covered with sand
- [00:00.00]And soon cleaned and wrapped it was traveling
- [00:00.00]In the warmth of Maria’s small hand
- [00:00.00]
- [00:00.00]She happily gave her last peso
- [00:00.00]On a cage made of rushes and twine
- [00:00.00]She fed it loose corn from the market
- [00:00.00]And watched it grow stronger with time
- [00:00.00]Now the gift-giving service was coming
- [00:00.00]And the church shone with tinsel and light
- [00:00.00]And all of the townfolk brought presents
- [00:00.00]To lay by the manger that night
- [00:00.00]
- [00:00.00]There where diamonds, incense and perfume
- [00:00.00]And packages fit for a king
- [00:00.00]But for one ragged bird in a small cage
- [00:00.00]Maria had nothing to bring
- [00:00.00]She waited till just before midnight
- [00:00.00]So no one would see her go in
- [00:00.00]And crying she knelt by the manger
- [00:00.00]For her gift was unworthy of him
- [00:00.00]Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
- [00:00.00]“Maria, what brings you to me?
- [00:00.00]If the bird in the cage is your offering
- [00:00.00]Open the door, let me see”
- [00:00.00]So she trembled, she did as he asked her
- [00:00.00]And out of the cage the bird flew
- [00:00.00]Soaring up into the rafters
- [00:00.00]On a wing that had healed good as new
- [00:00.00]Just then the midnight bells rang out
- [00:00.00]And the little bird started to sing
- [00:00.00]A song that no words could recapture
- [00:00.00]For its beauty was fit for a king
- [00:00.00]Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
- [00:00.00]To that cascade of notes sweet and long
- [00:00.00]As her offering was lifted to heaven
- [00:00.00]By the very first nightingale’s song