Earth Has Many a Noble City

"Earth Has Many a Noble City" (Latin: "O sola magnarum urbium") is a Christian Epiphany hymn originally written by the Roman poet Aurelius Clemens Prudentius and translated by the English clergyman Edward Caswall in 1849.

[2] In 405 AD, he published a number of Latin Christian prayers and hymns in his Liber Cathemerinon book which included "O sola magnarum urbium" which would become "Earth Has Many a Noble City".

In 1849, he published Lyra Catholica featuring a number of Latin hymns that he had translated into English, including "Earth Has Many a Noble City".

[4] However, hymnologists have debated whether "Earth Has Many a Noble City" was Caswall's original translation with the hymns of "Bethlehem!

[5] The English translation of the hymn focuses on Epiphany with the biblical Magi following the Star of Bethlehem to the Baby Jesus and their offering of gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.