Christmas Music

I love Christmas songs. Many of the songs we sing every year have such beautiful, rich words if we really take the time to think about them when we hear or sing them. Between now and Christmas, I am going to post the words to some of my favorite carols so that I can spend at least a few minutes thinking over their words and my readers can, too. Some hymns have more verses than are typically printed in our hymnbooks, also, so this might be a way for us to learn a new verse or two. I thought I would post the words to everyone's favorite, Silent Night, first.

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 Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior 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.

Silent night, holy night Wondrous star, lend thy light;

With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King;

Christ the Savior is born,Christ the Savior is born!

ALTERNATE TRANSLATION
HOLY NIGHT
Holy night, peaceful night! Through the darkness beams a light

There, where they sweet vigils keep O’er the Babe in silent sleep;

Resting in heavenly peace,Resting in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holiest night!Darkness flies and all is light!

Shepherds hear the angels sing;“Hallelujah! hail the King!

Jesus, the Savior is here,Jesus, the Savior is here.”

Holiest night, peaceful night!Child of heaven, O how bright

Thou didst smile when Thou was born; Blessèd was that happy morn,

Full of heavenly joy,Full of heavenly joy.

Words by Josef Mohr written circa 1816-1818. Music by Franz Gruber circa 1820. Source http://www.blogger.com/www.cyberhymnal.org..