The Gift

D

[Verse]
  D
A poor orphan girl named Maria
                          A7
Was walking to market one day

She stopped for to rest by the 
roadside
                                D
Where a bird with a broken wing lay

A few moments passed 'til she saw it
For its feathers were covered with 
A7
sand

But soon clean and wrapped it was 
traveling
                               D
In the warmth of Maria's small hand

[Chorus]
    G
She happily gave her last peso
     D            A7         D
On a cage made of rushes and twine
    G
She fed it loose corn from the 
market
    D                             
And watched it grow stronger with 
A7
time

[Verse]
       D
Now the Christmas Eve service was 
coming
And the church shone with tinsel and
 A7
 light

Continúa después del anuncio
And all of the townsfolk brought 
presents
                          D
To lay by the manger that night

There were diamonds and incense and 
perfumes
                      A7
In packages fit for a king

But for one ragged bird in a small 
cage
                     D
Maria had nothing to bring

[Chorus]
    G
She waited till just before 
mid-night
   D            A7         D
So no one would see her go in
     G
And, crying, she knelt by the manger
        D                    A7
For her gift was unworthy of him  
(Key change to E)

[Verse]
       E
Then a voice spoke to her through 
the darkness,
                           B7
"Maria, what brings you to me?

If the bird in the cage is your 
offering,
                      E
Open the door, let me see."

Though she trembled, she did as he 
asked her
                             B7
And out of the cage the bird flew

Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as 
E
new.

[Chorus]
     A
Just then the midnight bells rang 
out
        E           B7         E
And the little bird started to sing
  A
A song that no words could recapture
      E                    B7
Whose beauty was fit for a king

[Verse]
E
Now Maria felt blessed just to 
listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and 
B7
long

As her offering was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song
 E


[Otro]
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| A    | E       | B7    |

| E    | E       | B7    | B7    | E
                              (Fade)