ME THINK-ABOUT WHILE LOOK-UP-TO SKY.
WHY JESUS HE SAVIOR COME-DOWN-FROM-Heaven FOR-FOR? DIE.
HELP-us POOR WORTHLESS PEOPLE LIKE (2h)YOU, LIKE ME.
ME THINK-ABOUT WHILE LOOK-UP-TO SKY.

HAPPEN MARY GIVE-BIRTH-TO JESUS, THERE-lf COW LIVE TOO.
MEN WISE, FARMER, SHEPHERD WORSHIP HIM-lf.
FAR-AWAY GOD HIS HEAVEN STAR SHINE-DOWN-ON-lf
LONG-AGO PROPHET PROMISE, NOW BECOME TRUE.

SUPPOSE JESUS REALLY-WANT ANY* THING IN WORLD
(<) STAR star-SHINY SKY, (>) BIRD TRAVEL BIRD-FLY.
WANT ANGEL THEY-rt HEAVEN SING SPECIAL FOR HIM-lf.
THAT* TRUE-BIZ HAPPEN. WHY? HE HIMSELF-lf KING.

Notes: ME - Underlined prounouns (ME</>, YOU</>, HE) are honorific index (HON.-IX), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

THINK-ABOUT - [1] circles around temple.

SKY - using the FT of the upturned palm, point > sky and sweep the hand > DS. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - sky.

COME-DOWN-FROM-Heaven - [1], PO > signer, FO up, moves down from high above as if it were Jesus coming from Heaven.

POOR - Because this is an Appalachian carol, I interpret this as "poor (little money)" as opposed to "poor (thing)".

MARY - [M] touches NDS temple, is drawn across forehead, and descends. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Mary - 1.

GIVE-BIRTH-TO - S-ENTER.

SHEPHERD - SHEEP SUPERVISOR.

WORSHIP - NDH is clasped over DH [S] and hands circle perpendicular to the chest. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Worship.

FAR-AWAY - [1], twists while moving away with tongue shuttling from side to side. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Far.

SHINE-DOWN-ON - [O^] is held high PO > left; hands open to [5^] while moving > left.

REALLY-WANT - WANT but shaken back and forth to show intensity.

star-SHINY - (2h)[open 8], POs > "star", FOs away, twist rapidly at wrists while rising. For a QuickTime file of this sign (but you need to change the PO), see ASL Pro: Shine.

TRAVEL - [V:], PO down, FO away, moves away in a curvy path.

BIRD-FLY - (2h)[B] cross at wrists and hands flap like wings while showing the path of the flight.

TRUE-BIZ - TRUE + (2h)[S], POs down, FOs away, DH brushes from side to side across NDH wrist.

Lyrics:

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on'ry people like you and like I.
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,
He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.

To hear a performance of this song, go to Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua recordings: I wonder as I wander.