The Gift

[ti:The Gift] [ar:The Hit Crew] [al:Ultimate Country Christmas, Vol. 1] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.75]The Gift - The Hit Crew [00:06.41]A poor orphan girl named Maria [00:10.17] [00:12.01]Was walking to market one day [00:15.94] [00:17.61]She stopped for to rest by the road side [00:21.98] [00:22.88]Where a bird with a broken wing lay [00:27.11] [00:28.90]A few moments passed till she saw it [00:33.00] [00:34.24]For it's feathers were covered with sand [00:38.18] [00:40.11]And soon clean and wrapped it was traveling [00:44.47] [00:45.50]In the warmth of her weal small hand [00:49.25] [00:51.43]She happily gave her last peso [00:55.55] [00:56.76]Or a cage made of freshes and twine [01:00.96] [01:02.59]She fed it loose corn from the market [01:06.89] [01:08.19]And watched it grow stronger with time [01:12.03] [01:13.52]Now the Christmas Eve service was coming [01:18.08] [01:19.20]And the church armed with tinsel and light [01:23.22] [01:25.12]And all of the town folk brought presents [01:29.09] [01:30.75]To lay by the manger that night [01:34.47] [01:36.05]There were diamonds incents and perfumes [01:40.75] [01:41.96]And packages fit for a king [01:45.92] [01:47.30]But for one ragged bird in the small cage [01:52.20] [01:53.30]Maria had nothing to bring [01:56.80] [01:58.85]She waited till just before midnight [02:03.36] [02:04.40]So no one could see her go in [02:08.15] [02:10.07]And crying she knelt by the manger [02:14.45] [02:15.43]For her gift was unworthy of him [02:19.10] [02:21.03]Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness [02:25.47] [02:27.08]Maria what brings you to me [02:30.65] [02:32.28]If the bird in the cage is your offering [02:37.03] [02:38.48]Open the door let me see [02:42.17] [02:43.54]Though she trembled [02:45.28]She did as he asked her [02:48.11] [02:49.49]And out of the cage the bird flew [02:53.15] [02:55.28]Soaring up into the rafters [02:59.42] [03:00.47]On a wing that had healed good as new [03:04.42] [03:06.53]And just then the midnight bells rang out [03:10.71] [03:11.61]And the little bird started to sing [03:15.89] [03:17.68]A song that no words could recapture [03:22.17] [03:23.04]Whose beauty was fit for a king [03:27.21] [03:28.49]Now Maria felt blessed just to listen [03:33.02] [03:34.08]To the cascade of notes sweet and long [03:38.72] [03:39.69]As her offering was lifted to heaven [03:44.16] [03:45.07]By the very first nightingale's song [03:52.51]