Hi everyone! As Anna had said in her latest post we will be doing a series of posts about Christmas songs. Today I will be talking about the song "Silent Night." Silent night was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber and written by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The carol was written originally in German and was made up of six stanzas. Here are the lyrics of the original song in both German and English.
1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab im lockigten Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen
Mund,
Da schlägt uns die rettende
Stund.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn
Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt sehn:
Jesum in Menschengestalt,
Jesum in Menschengestalt
4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
Väterlicher Liebe ergoß
Und als Bruder huldvoll
umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt.
5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit
In der Väter urgrauer Zeit
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß,
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.
6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Alleluja,
Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah:
Jesus der Retter ist da!
Jesus der Retter ist da!
| 1. Silent night! Holy night!
All's asleep, one sole light,
Just the faithful and holy pair,
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!
2. Silent night! Holy night!
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
Love from your holy lips shines
clear,
As the dawn of salvation draws
near,
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
3. Silent night! Holy night!
Brought the world peace tonight,
From the heavens' golden height
Shows the grace of His holy might
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Jesus, as man on this earth!
4. Silent night! holy night!
Where today all the might
Of His fatherly love us graced
And then Jesus, as brother
embraced.
All the peoples on earth!
All the peoples on earth!
5. Silent night! Holy night!
Long we hoped that He might,
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
Since times of our fathers He
hath
Promised to spare all mankind!
Promised to spare all mankind!
6. Silent night! Holy night!
Sheperds first see the sight.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Sounding everywhere, both
near and far:
"Christ the Savior is here!"
"Christ the Savior is here!"
|
(Anna would probably be able to translate the song :)
The song played first in St. Nicholas Church.
The song was written during the end of the Napoleonic Wars, which had caused much suffering and hardship to many. Joseph's church called Maripharr had been affected by these changes and many were depressed.
The Strasser sisters performed this song in front of the king Fredrick William the IV of Prussia. Twenty years after the Silent Night was written the song was brought to the U.S. by some people called the Rainers, who sang it in German. After it was translated into English a few years later it rapidly grew popular.
Since the birth of this new carol many new versions have been formed all of the world and have continually impacted people of every origin. My personal favorite version is the one by pentatonix. If you would like to hear it click on this link.
The background of this song is unknown but many myths have been made up about it. Some say Joseph Mohr wrote the song after watching a peaceful village from a hill and others say he wrote it to comfort the church in a time of healing and loss. To learn more go to the links below.
I hope you enjoyed my post this week! Stay tuned for Triniti's post next week and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Bibliography:
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