Advent 2024: Mon 9 Dec
Stille Nacht
Silent Night has a lovely tune, and both words and melody were, unusually, created together. The story of the song’s creation is a piece of Christmas magic. Read it here:
Here is a direct translation of the German original. [Source: Stille Nacht Gesellschaft.] The writer/composer produced six verses in all, but here are the ones we tend to sing today. Seeing the carol in non-poetic translation may help to understand it better, as the English verse translation of these relatively short lines does fog up the view, to my mind.
1. Silent night! Holy night!
All are sleeping, alone and awake
Only the intimate holy pair,
Lovely boy with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
6. Silent night! Holy night!
To shepherds it was first made known
By the angel, Alleluia;
Sounding forth loudly far and near:
Jesus the Saviour is here!
2. Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, O how he laughs
Love from your divine mouth,
Then it hits us – the hour of salvation.
Jesus at your birth!
Were you aware that you were singing about a curly-haired boy? Verse 6 of the original has now become the second verse. These first two verses are quite simple, and perhaps lacking in depth. The third verse gets sentimental over a laughing baby, but it finishes with the writer’s realisation that this child is our Saviour Jesus.
Paul