Hymns and Carols

In Languages Other Than English

Editor's Note:  I do not speak any language other than English (of the American persuasion).  It is for that reason that this site is generally restricted to carols and hymns in the English language. I have attempted to learn other languages -- notably French, Latin and Greek -- and at this time would like to publicly apologize to those instructors, of which I have wasted a total of three years of their professional endeavors.

I do not vouch for the rendition in any language of any carol -- or even of the correct identification of language -- and any expert in any such language is cordially invited to correct any errors in either the original or any free translations. The gentle correction will be the most well-received.

In addition, please feel free to bring to my attention any collections of carols in languages other than English. I will happily link to such sites here and at the Links page.

Doug Anderson
Editor and Webmaster

Andalucian

Austrian

Belgian

Catalonian

Czech

Dutch

French

German

Hungary:
See Christmas In Hungary for some Hungarian Traditions, and
Hungarian Christmas Songs
(Thanks to Annamária for these links!)

Italian

Latin
Opens a new page.

Polish

Romanian

Scandinavian
(Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland)

Welsh

Riu, Riu, Riu - English, Spanish and Esperanto versions at the web site of Gene Keyes (opens in a new window at an exterior site)

Andalucian

• Campana sobre campana

Austrian

• Ein Kindlein in der wiegen

• Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!

Belgian - Flemish

• De Drie Koningen (lyrics and sheet music)

• De Drie Koningen (Sheet Music from Hutchins - GIF file)

Catalonian

• El Desembre Congelat

• Fum Fum Fum (Veinticinco de diciembre)

Czech

• Hajej, Nynej, Jezisku

Dutch

• Heer Jesus heeft een Hofken

• Hoor de wind waait door de bomen

• O Kersnacht

• O, kom er eens kijken

• Sinterklaas kapoentje

• Sinterklaas, Goed Heilig Man

• Sinterklaasje kom maar binnen

• Zie de maan schijnt door de bomen

• Zie ginds komt de stoomboot

And see: Dutch Saint Nicholas Songs Translated into English

French

• Ah! Quel grand mystère!

• Berger, Secoue Ton Sommeil Profond

• Ça, bergers, assemblons-nous

• Célébrons la Naissance

• Dans cette étable

• Douce Nuit! Sainte Nuit!

• En cette nuit

• Faisons éclater notre joie

• Guillo, pran ton tamborin

• Haut, Haut, Peyrot (Sheet Music Only. From Charles L. Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New; Hutchins adds this note: A Béarnais Christmas Carol; the words by Andichon; the music a traditional tune to be found in Gustave Probst's Melodies Béarnaises.)

• Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant

• Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant - Version 2

• L'An Mil Sies Cens Quaranto Cine

• La Marche Des Rois Mages

• Les Anges Dan Nos Campagnes

• Lon De La Gran Carriere

• Minuit Chrétiens

• Noel Nouveau

• Noel Nouvelet

• Petite Ville Bethleem

• Quand Dieu Naquit à Noël (William Sandys, 1833)

• Quand Dieu Naquit A Noël (Contributed by Monelle)

• Quelle est cette odeur agréable

• Seignors Ore Entendez A Nus

• Un Flambeau Jeannette

• Venés Veire Din L'estable

• Venez Divin Messie

 Numerous French carols can be found at MUSIQUE MAESTRO

Additional carols can be found at chansonsdenoel.fr and
French Christmas Carols - Chants de Noël

Translations of a number of French Noëls can be found in Richard R. Terry, Two Hundred Folk Carols  (1933).

German

• Als ich bei meinen Schafen wacht

• Christum wir sollen loben schon

• Da Droben Am Berge

• Die Könige

• Ermuntert euch, ihr Frommen

• Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

• Gelobet seist du

• Gud Faders Son Enbaarne

• Kommt und laßt uns Christum ehren

• Leise rieselt der Schnee

• Maria Durch Ein'n Dornwald Ging

• Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr' dahin

• Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland

• Nun singet Und Seid Froh

• Nun Singet Und Seid Froh - Version 2

• O du Frohliche

• O Tannenbaum

• Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut

• Stern über Bethleh

• Tochter Zion, Freue Dich!

• Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her

• Vom Himmel hoch o Engel kommt

• Vom Himmel Kam Der Engel Schar

• Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

• Was fürchtst du

• Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

• Wir singen dir Immanuel

 An excellent source of German carols -- and carols in other languages -- is 20,000 Volkslieder, Germany and Other Folksongs

Italian

• Canzone d'l Zampognari (Quanno nascette Ninno a Bettelemme)

• Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle

Polish

• Lulajze Jezuniu

• W Zlobie Lezy

At Polish Christmas Carols and Customs, you can read an extended account of the Polish carols arranged by Kazimierz Hubert. Also, an introduction to the beautiful Christmas music of Poland. Links to many other Polish carols and to many Polish sites. The main page for this site is The Christmas Archives, which contains a large amount of Christmas-related information.

Romanian

Three traditional carols furnished by Cristian Mocanu, a member of Christmas International

• Deschide Uşa

• O, Ce Veste Minunata

• Trei Păstori

Additional Romanian carols can be found at Romanian Christmas Carols (both lyrics and MIDI files at Angelfire),  Colinde Romanesti de Craciun (with some wonderful WAV files by the Madrigal Choir), and Colinde (for purists only; it's in Romanian, as nearly as I can tell). Concerning customs generally, please see Romanian Christmas and Another Romanian Christmas, plus Christmas And St. Nicholas Day (with links to several other Romanian Christmas sites).

Scandinavian

• Bjældeklang [Jingle Bells]

• Bjelleklang, [Jingle Bells, Text by Juul Hansen, see Mike and Else's Norwegian Songbook (Bloomington, MN: Skandisk, 1985)]

• Barn Jesus

• Bort, Verdens Jule-Glæde [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Deilig er den himmel blå - Version 1 [Danish by Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig]

• Deilig er jorden [Danish by Bernhardt Severin Ingemann]

• Den signede dag [Danish by Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig]

• Den yndigste Rose er funden [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson]

• Det Kimer Nu Til Julefest [Danish by Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; with Norwegian version also]

• Det var en juleaften silde [Danish; No English Translation]

• Du grønne glitrende tre

• En lille nisse rejste [Danish; No English Translation]

• Et Barn Er Født I Betlehem [Danish by Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig]

• Et lidet barn så lysteligt [Danish by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; No English Translation]

• Fra Himlen højt kom budskab her [Danish; No English Translation]

• Frisk op til Fryd, alt Christen Blood [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Frisk op! Endnu engang [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Glade jul, dejlige jul [Danish by Bernhardt Severin Ingemann; Silent Night, Holy Night]

• Glade jul, hellige jul! [Norwegian; Silent Night, Holy Night]

• Hei tomtegubber, ta i ring [Norwegian; No English Translation]

• Her Kommer, Jesus, Dine Små [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson]

• Her kommer dine arme sma [Norwegian]

• Hjerte, løft din glædes vinger! [Danish translation from German; No English Translation]

• Højt for træets grønne top [No English Translation]

• Hvordan takke vi vor Herre [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• I denne søde Jule-Tiid [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Ind under jul, hvor er det trist [Danish; No English Translation]

• Jeg Er Saa Glad Hver Julekveld

• Jeg gikk meg over sjø og land

• Jeg så julemanden kysse mor [Adaptation in Danish of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"]

• Jeg synger julekvad [Norwegian; No English translation; to the tune of "Good Christian Men,  Rejoice." See "I Am Singing a Christmas Song," Mike and Else's Norwegian Songbook (Bloomington, MN: Skandisk, 1985)]

• Julekveldsvise

• Julen har bragt velsignet bud [Danish by Bernhardt Severin Ingemann]

• Julen har englelyd [Danish by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; No English Translation]

• Juletræet med sin pynt (Words: Mogens Lorentzen, 1939 (Peter Faber, 1848?); Music: Egil Harder, 1940)

• Kimer, I klokker [Norwegian; originally Danish by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, "Ring, Ye Bells"]

• Kom, Hierte! tag dit Regne-Bræt [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Mit Hierte altid vancker [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• Mitt hjerte alltid vanker [Norwegian; No English translation]

• Musevisa, [Norwegian; English translation now available; also see "The Mice Celebrate Christmas," Mike and Else's Norwegian Songbook (Bloomington, MN: Skandisk, 1985)]

• Nå tennes tusen julelys [Norwegian; No English translation]

• Når du ser et stjerneskud [Danish; No English Translation]

• När Juldagsmorgon Glimmar

• Nu Är Det Jul Igen

• Nu har vi altså jul igen (Words: Holger Buchhave, 1956)

• Nu vel an! et freydigt Mood! [Danish by Hans Adolf Brorson; No English Translation]

• O Jul Med Din Glede

• Og reven rasker over isen [Norwegian; No English translation]

• Os Er Idag En Frelser Foedt [Birgitte Boye, 1778]

• På låven sitter nissen [Norwegian; No English Translation, see "The 'Nisse' In The Barn," Mike and Else's Norwegian Songbook (Bloomington, MN: Skandisk, 1985)]

• På loftet sidder nissen med sin julegrøød

• Rudolf er rod pa nesen [Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer, copyright ; Norwegian translation, No English Translation, see "Rudolph Has A Red Nose," Mike and Else's Norwegian Songbook (Bloomington, MN: Skandisk, 1985)

• Sa gar vi rundt om en enebaerbusk [Norwegian]

• Santa Lucia [Swedish; English Translation available at Don Erickson's Swedish Folk Songs web page]

• Sikken voldsom trængsel og alarm [No English Translation]

• Søren Banjomus (Words & Music: Otto Brandenburg (1934-2007), 1969

• Til julebal i Nisseland [No English Translation]

• Velkommen igen, Guds engle små [Danish by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; No English Translation]

• Vaer velkommen, Herrens år [Danish by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; No English Translation]

Don Erickson has provided words and MIDI sequences to numerous Swedish Folk Songs
on his site, including several Christmas songs.

Welsh

• Canu Cwnsela

• Nos Galan

Sadly, Jeanne Pasero's site, Christmas in Wales -- with it's great information about Welsh traditions -- seems to have disappeared. Hopefully this is temporary.

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