imhigh-power

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
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
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
Sleep in heavenly peace

This song was submitted on August 2nd, 2008 and last modified on March 26th, 2017.

Copyright with Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.

Lyrics licensed by LyricFind.

'Silent Night' (German: Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.
The song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, a village in the Austrian Empire on the Salzach river in present-day Austria. A young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before. He had written the lyrics of the song 'Stille Nacht' in 1816 at Mariapfarr, the hometown of his father in the Salzburg Lungau region, where Joseph had worked as a co-adjutor.
The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, schoolmaster and organist in the nearby village of Arnsdorf. Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the Christmas Eve mass. Together they performed the new carol during the mass on the night of December 24.
The original manuscript has been lost. However, a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohr's handwriting and dated by researchers as c. 1820. It states 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.
The first edition was published by Friese (de) in 1833 in a collection of Four Genuine Tyrolean Songs, with the following musical text:
In 1859, the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, then serving at Trinity Church, New York City, wrote and published the English translation that is most frequently sung today, translated from three of Mohr's original six verses. The version of the melody that is generally used today is a slow, meditative lullaby or pastorale, differing slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original, which was a 'moderato' tune in 6/8 time and siciliana rhythm. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain.
Mohr's German lyrics
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Young's English lyrics
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 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 carol has been translated into about 140 languages.
Several theatrical and television films depict how the song was written.
The Legend of Silent Night (1968) TV film directed by Daniel Mann
Silent Night, Holy Night (1976) animated short film by Hanna-Barbera.
Silent Mouse (1988) television special directed and produced by Robin Crichton and narrated by Lynn Redgrave.
Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night (1998) direct-to-video animated featurette
Stille Nacht (2012) directed by Christian Vuissa
The First Silent Night (2014), documentary narrated by Simon Callow