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 past till she saw it
For its' feathers were covered in sand

And soon clean 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 feed it loose corn from the market watched it grow stronger with time

Now the gift giving service was coming
And the church armed with tinsel and light
All of the town folk brought present to lay by the manger that night

There were diamonds,incents,and perfumes and packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in his 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
Than 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 has 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 than the midnight bells rang out and the little bird started to sing with words that no song could recapture for its' beauty was fit for a king
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To the cascade of notes sweet and long has her offering was lifted to heaven

By the very first Nightingales Song