Silent Night, Holiest Night

For Christmas

Words: Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!, Rev. Joseph Mohr, 1816
Translator: Rev. Dr. Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889), ca. 1875.

Music "Stille Nacht," by Franz Gruber, 1818
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer
Original Music: MIDI / Noteworthy Composer

Notes and Links to Translations

Source: John Farmer, ed., The Supplemental Tune book to the Church Sunday-School Hymn Book (London: Church of England Sunday School Institute, 1880), Hymn 3, p. 3.

1. Silent night, holiest night,
All asleep, lonely light,
Where adoring watch the pair,
Watch, as in His Father's care
     Sleeps the infant Christ.
     Sleeps the infant Christ.

2. Silent night, holiest night,
Shepherds saw angels bright,
Heard from heaven the white-robed throng
Bearing down to earth the song,
     "Christ the Lord is come."
     "Christ the Lord is come."

3. Silent night, holiest night,
Son of God, O how bright
Beams the ray of heavenly grace
In the infant Saviour's face,
     Saviour, born for us.
     Saviour, born for us.

Sheet Music "Bethlehem's Star" from John Farmer, ed., The Supplemental Tune book to the Church Sunday-School Hymn Book (London: Church of England Sunday School Institute, 1880), Hymn 3, p. 3. Meter: 66 77 5

Sheet Music from Mary Palmer and John Farmer, eds., Church Sunday School Hymn-Book (London: Church of England Sunday-School Institute, 1892), #35.

Dr. Edersheim is identified as the translator in the General Index.

Also found in Edgar Pettman, ed., "The Westminster Carol Book" (London: Houghton & Co., 1899), Hymn No. VIII, "Holy Night," p. 12.

Note:

Julian wrote that this translation first appeared in the Sunday at Home, Dec. 18, 1875, repeated in the Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, No. 35 (John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, 1907, p. 761).

Farmer's reference to "Hymn 35" is to the hymn "Holy Night" (i.e., "Silent Night, Holy Night") in The Church Sunday-School Hymn Book, published at the Advent, 1879. It was reprinted in 1892 under the editorship of Mary Palmer, with John Farmer as the musical editor (London: Church of England Sunday-School Institute by Novello, Ewer and Co., Printers), #35, p. 31.

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