Advent Calendar - 8 December
Here's a favourite 'waiting for Christmas' traditional song, i.e. not something that we sing in church, but something that has been sung in families since it was composed by Eduard Ebel in the mid-19th century.
Click to viewIt was really hard to find a sung version that does justice to the simplicity of the song. So many have a beat in the background, inducing curled-up toenails, or vulgar singing, and those without the beat tended to have a symphony orchestra or madrigal-style vocals. I thought this was doing good enough, though obviously nothing professional. The girl seems to have just sung it herself, nice, clear voice, no fuss - which is just what you do with this kind of song. :)
Leise rieselt der Schnee,
Still und starr liegt der See,
Weihnachtlich glänzet der Wald
Freue dich, 's Christkind kommt bald!
In den Herzen ist's warm;
Still schweigt Kummer und Harm.
Sorge des Lebens verhallt;
Freue dich! 's Christkind kommt bald!
Bald ist heilige Nacht,
Chor der Engel erwacht;
Horch nur, wie lieblich es schallt,
Freue dich, 's Christkind kommt bald!
Gently the snow trickles down
Silent and fixed the lake rests
The forest glitters christmasy.
Rejoice, Christ Child* is soon to come!
Hearts are warm now
Silent are grief and harm
Worries of life fade away.
Rejoice, Christ Child is soon to come!
Soon it's Holy Night
Choir of the Angels awakens
Hark, how sweet it sounds.
Rejoice, Christ Child is soon to come!
*Christkind can't really be translated, except literally, I suppose, as it is a figure that AFAIK is not known in the English speaking world. It is a symbolic gift-bringing figure usually in the shape of an angelic little girl. Apparently, it has been around since the 16th century at least, but, at least in Catholic culture, I think is most closely connected to the 19th century, where it emerged to prominence with the development of Christmas as a family festivity, and in competition to Father Christmas.
After the Christmas holidays, when the school reports were just round the corner, we kids would sing a variation of the song...
Leise rieselt die vier
Auf das Zeugnispapier
Fünfen und Sechsen dazu
Freue dich, sitzen bleibst du.
Gently trickles the D
Onto the school report for me.
E's and F's, too, are here.
Rejoice, you stay down for a year.
;)