Silent Night - Noche de Paz

 

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.^[1] 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. (Source: Wikipedia)

This song, unlike the majority of songs on this blog, is included in honor of the Christmas holidays and not for any especially important vocabulary or grammar.  However, there are a few interesting words and expressions that can be useful for students of English as a second language.   Of course there is a Spanish version of this song but the translation of the lyrics below is a literal translation of the English lyrics so that students see exactly what is being said in the English version of the song.  

Merry Christmas to all.

Silent Night
Noche silenciosa

Silent night, holy night!
Noche silenciosa Santa noche!
All is calm, all is bright.
¡Todo está en calma , todo es brillante .
Round yon* Virgin, Mother and Child.
Alrededor de la Virgen por allí, la Madre y el Niño.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Bebé Santo tan tierno y suave,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Duerme en paz celestial ,
Sleep in heavenly peace
Duerme en paz celestial ,

Silent night, holy night!
¡Noche silenciosa Santa noche!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Los pastores temblan al ver el panorama
Glories stream from heaven afar
Las glorias salen desde el cielo lejano
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Angeles celestiales cantan Aleluya,
Christ the Savior is born!
Cristo el Salvador ha nacido!
Christ the Savior is born
Cristo el Salvador ha nacido!

Silent night, holy night
Noche silenciosa Santa noche
Son of God, love's pure light
Hijo de Dios , la luz pura del amor
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
Rayos brillantes de Tu rostro santo
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Con el amanecer de la gracia redentora
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesús, Señor , en tu nacimiento
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "
Jesús, Señor , en tu nacimiento


*This means that everything around Mary (the virgin mother) and Jesus (the child) is calm and bright. 'Yon' is a form of 'yonder', which means 'over there'.
'Everything is calm and bright around that virgin mother over there and her child.'