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"'Silent Night'" ("''Stille Nacht''") is a traditional and popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song ''Stille Nacht'' were written in German by the priest Father Josef Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz X. Gruber. The version of the melody that is generally sung today differs slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain.

Contents

History

Lyrics

German

Literal translation

Dutch

Modern English

Recording history

Trivia

External links

References

History

The carol was first performed in the Nicola-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria on December 25, 1818. Mohr had composed the words much earlier, in 1816, but on Christmas Eve brought them to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service.
In his written account regarding the composition of the carol, Gruber gives no mention of the specific inspiration for creating the song. According to the song's history provided by Austria's Silent Night Society, one supposition is that the church organ was no longer working so that Mohr and Gruber therefore created a song for accompaniment by guitar. Silent Night historian, Renate Ebeling-Winkler says that the first mention of a broken organ was in a book published in the U.S. in 1909.
Some historians believe that Mohr simply wanted a new Christmas carol that he could play on his guitar. The Silent Night Society says that there are "many romantic stories and legends" that add their own anecdotal details to the known facts.

The Nicola-Kirche was demolished in the early 1900s due to flood damage and due to the fact that the town's centre was moved up the river to a safer location, with a new church being built there close to the new bridge. A tiny chapel, called the "Stille-Nacht-Gedächtniskapelle" (Silent Night Memorial Chapel), was built in the place of the demolished church and a nearby house was converted into a museum, attracting tourists from all over the world, not only but primarily in December.
The original manuscript has been lost, however a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohr's handwriting and dated by researchers at ca. 1820. It shows that Mohr wrote the words in 1816 when he was assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr, Austria, and shows that the music was composed by Gruber in 1818. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the only one in Mohr's handwriting. Gruber's composition was influenced by the musical tradition of his rural domicile. The melody of Silent Night bears resemblance to aspects of Austrian folk music and yodelling.
Another popular story claims that the carol, once performed, was promptly forgotten until an organ repairman found the manuscript in 1825 and revived it. However, Gruber published various arrangements of it throughout his lifetime and we now have the Mohr arrangement (ca. 1820) that is kept at the Carolino Augusteum Museum in Salzburg.
It is believed that the carol has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects around the world, and it is one of the most popular carols of all time. It is sometimes sung without musical accompaniment. Although written by Catholics, it is given special significance in Lutheranism.
The most well-known English translation of the carol is by Reverend John Freeman Young, who served as the second Episcopal bishop of Florida.

Lyrics

German ''from an 1860 autograph (Autograph VII) by Franz Gruber'' :Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! :Alles schläft; einsam wacht :Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. :Holder Knab im lockigen Haar, :Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! :Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! :Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! :Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht :Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund, :Da schlägt uns die rettende Stund, :Christ in deiner Geburt! :Christ in deiner Geburt! :Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! :Die der Welt Heil gebracht, :Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn :Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh'n :Jesum in Menschengestalt, :Jesum in Menschengestalt. :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. :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. :Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! :Hirten erst kundgemacht :Durch der Engel Alleluja. :Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah: :Christ, der Retter ist da! :Christ, der Retter ist da!

Literal translation ''of the original German'' :Silent night, holy night :All are asleep, the only ones awake :The familiar sacred couple :Fair boy with curly hair :Sleep in heavenly calm :Sleep in heavenly calm :Silent night, holy night, :Son of God! Oh, how he laughs :Love from your godly mouth :As we are about to be saved :Christ, by your birth :Christ, by your birth :Silent night, holy night :Bringing salvation to the world :From heaven's golden heights :It allows us to see the abundance of mercy :Jesus in human form :Jesus in human form :Silent night, holy night :Where all the power of :Fatherly love flowed tonight :And surrounded as brothers in friendship :Jesus, the peoples of the world :Jesus, the peoples of the world :Silent night, holy night :Foretold to us long ago :When the Lord, freed of scorn :In the ancient grey times of the fathers :Promised clemency to all the world :Promised clemency to all the world :Silent night, holy night :Revealed to shepherds at first :By the angels' hallelujah :It rings loudly from near and from afar: :Christ, the saviour, is here! :Christ, the saviour, is here!

Dutch :Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. :Davids Zoon, lang verwacht, :die miljoenen eens zaligen zal :werd geboren in Bethlehems stal. :Hij, der schepselen Heer :Hij, der schepselen Heer. :Hulp'loos kind, heilig kind, :dat zo trouw zondaars mint. :Ook voor mij hebt G'Uw rijkdom ontzegt, :werd G'in stro en in doeken gelegd. :Leer m'U danken daarvoor :Leer m'U danken daarvoor. :Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht, :Heil en vree wordt gebracht, :aan een wereld, verloren in schuld. :Gods belofte wordt heerlijk vervuld. :Amen! Gode zij eer :Amen! Gode zij eer.

Modern English ''version of 'Silent Night''' :Silent night, Holy night :All is calm, all is bright :Round yon virgin Mother and Child :Holy infant so tender and mild :Sleep in heavenly peace :Sleep in heavenly peace :Silent night, holy night :Shepherds quake at the sight :Glories stream from Heaven afar :Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah :Christ the Saviour is born :Christ the Saviour is born :Silent night, holy night :Son of God, love's pure light :Radiant beams from Thy holy face :With the dawn of redeeming grace :Jesus, Lord at Thy birth :Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

The modern German version has a few minor differences, e. g. in the sixth verse, the text has been changed to "Tönt es laut von Fern und Nah", as the original with "bei" sounds a bit dated; so does the "e" in "Ferne". "Von Fern und Nah" is a consolidated German idiom. Moreover, only the first, second, and sixth verses are usually sung.

Recording history

★ All Angels (2006)

★ Allison Crowe (2003)

★ Aly & AJ (2006)

★ Andy Williams

★ Ayumi Hamasaki

★ Burl Ives

★ David Young (2006)

★ The Dickies (1977)

★ Luis Miguel (2006)

★ Libera (2006)

★ André Rieu (2006)

★ Ashanti (2003)

★ King's College Choir (1969, 1979, 1984)

★ Vienna Boys Choir

★ John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers

★ Hanson (1997)

★ Martina McBride (1999)

★ Bros (1988)

★ Boyz II Men

★ Kathleen Battle (1989)

★ Tina Karol (Ukrainian version - 2006)

★ Keahiwai (2006)

Trivia

The song was sung simultaneously in English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914, as it was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew.
This song was reportedly the favorite Christmas carol of President Lyndon Johnson and his wife. (See ''Christmas at the White House''.)
The Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice plays a version of Silent Night on a hidden track from the album O, with modified lyrics.
Musician Enya has recorded the Irish language version of the song, it translates as ''Oíche Chiúin''.
The song has created mondegreens of its own, usually as sung by children, such as "Round John Virgin," and "Holy imbecile tender and mild..."

External links

★ History of song

★ Stille-Nacht-Association, Salzburg

★ Silent Night Web: translations (193 versions in 130 languages), notation, and history.

★ Joseph Mohr Memorial Organ, Wagrain, Austria

References