Silent Night, Hallow'd Night

Words: Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!, Rev. Joseph Mohr, 1816
Translator Unknown

Music: "Himmelsau" from Trier Gesangbuch
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF

See Notes and Links to Translations

Source: Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916), Carol 419

1. Silent night! hallow'd night!
Earth is hushed, Heav'n a-light!
Angels throng the starlit air,
Whisp'ring round the Child so fair:
"Sleep, sleep, O Baby King!
Sleep," they softly sing.

2. All is still, Jesus sleeps;
Holy watch Joseph keeps;
Mary bends His Face to see,
Murm'ring low her lullaby;
"Sleep, sleep, my Babe Divine!
Sleep, God's Son and mine!"

3. Blissful night, prophesied;
angel-Hosts glorified,
Wondrous news to shepherds tell!
Heavenly harps their chorus swell!
"Peace!" a Seraph sings,
"Peace the Saviour brings."

4. Gather round, people dear!
Young and old, gather near!
Though are closed those Eyes so sweet,
Lo! His Heart doth watchful beat;
Sleep then, Jesus dear!
Sleep, my heart doth hear!

Sheet Music from Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916), Carol 419.

Sheet Music "Himmelsau" from J. F. W. Bullock and C. J. Ridsdale, eds., The New Office Hymn Book, Parts 3 and 4 (London: Novello and Company, 1907), Hymn #360, p. 64.

According to Ian Bradley, in The Penguin Book of Carols, a version with the same title appeared in the Christian Hymn Book, 1865. However, this is likely the version translated by J. F. Warner in 1849, Silent Night, Hallowed Night, which was edited by Alexander Campbell and published in 1865, 1866 and later years. A different version with the same name was recorded by the Haydn Quartet in 1905 (Victor 4511); it is available from The Dawn Of Sound. Another version was recorded by Olive Fremstad, Soprano, 3/30/11.

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