Intro: 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
                                   A7
For its feathers were covered with 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                             A7
And watched it grow stronger with time

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

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-

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
                                  E
On a wing that had healed good as 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
                                   B7
To that cascade of notes sweet and long

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

Outro:
| A    | E   B7  | E     |
| A    | E       | B7    |
| E    | E       | B7    | B7    | E
                              -Fade-