Hymns:Silent night holy night

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Silent night holy night
Title Silent night, holy night
Author Joseph Mohr
Composer Franz Xaver Gruber
Published
Orig. Key B flat Major
Orig. Language
Meter Irregular
Melody
1st Line Silent night, holy night
Scriptures Luke 2:5-20
Silent night, holy night (mid)
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Silent night, holy night

Contents

Summary

Scripture References

all * stanza(s) : Luke 2:1-20

Notes

With a mixture of reflection and awe, the writer evokes the night of Christ's birth, recalling not only the birth but also its meaning: the Christ who is born in Bethlehem is our Savior and our King!

Parish priest Joseph Mohr (b. Salzburg, Austria, 1792; d. Wagrein, Austria, 1848) wrote the original German text in six stanzas in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818, for St. Nicholas's Church. Because the church organ had broken down that day, Mohr and his parish organist, Franz Gruber (b. Unterweizberg, near Hochburg, Austria, 1787; d. Hallein, near Salzburg, Austria, 1863), composed this beloved hymn to be accompanied on guitar for the Christmas Eve service.

After organ repairman Karl Mauracher heard the hymn, he took the manuscript to the Tyrol region. Because it was sung by various Tyrol folk groups (including the touring Strasser "sisters" and the Rainer family), "Silent Night" became known as a “Tyrolean carol.” The hymn's widespread use enhanced its popularity throughout Europe and North America during the middle nineteenth century. Without attributing the hymn's composition to Mohr and Gruber, the Leipzig Katholisches Gesang-und Gebetbuch first published the hymn in 1838; because of the efforts of Gruber's grandson, the author and composer were soon recognized.

Author Joseph Mohr was born into a humble family–his mother was a seamstress and his father, an army musketeer. A choirboy in Salzburg Cathedral as a youth, Mohr studied at Salzburg University and was ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1815. Mohr was a priest in various churches near Salzburg, including St. Nicholas Church. He spent his later years in Hintersee and Wagrein.

Various English translations abound, some of which are rather free paraphrases. The familiar stanzas 1, 3, and 4 in the Psalter Hymnal come from the popular English translation by John F. Young, first published in John C. Hollister's Sunday School Service and Tune Book (1863). Henrietta Ten Harmsel wrote stanza 2 and made other alterations in the text in 1984 to "stress the paradoxes and deeper meanings of Christmas."


Liturgical Use

Candlelight worship services on Christmas Eve; church school programs; "carols from many lands" choral services.

[1][2]

Lyrics

  1. Silent night, holy night!
    All is calm, all is bright,
    Round yon virgin mother and Child!
    Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
    Sleep in heavenly peace,
    Sleep in heavenly peace.
  2. Silent night, holy night!
    Shepherds quake at the sight,
    Glories stream from heaven afar,
    Heavenly hosts sing "Alleluia;
    Christ the Savior is born,
    Christ the Savior is born!"
  3. Silent night, holy night!
    Son of God, love’s pure light
    Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
    With the dawn of redeeming grace,
    Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
    Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
  4. Silent night, holy night!
    Wondrous star, lend thy light;
    With the angels let us sing,
    Alleluia to our King;
    Christ the Savior is born,
    Christ the Savior is born!
  5. German:
    1 Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
    Alles schläft, einsam wacht
    Nur das traute hochheilige Paar,
    Holder Knabe mit lockigem Haar,
    Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,
    Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
  6. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
    Hirten erst kund gemacht;
    Durch der Engel Halleluja
    Tönt es laut von fern und nah’;
    Christ der Retter ist da,
    Christ der Retter ist da!
  7. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
    Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
    Lieb’ aus deinem holdseligen Mund,
    Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’,
    Christ, in deiner Geburt,
    Christ, in deiner Geburt!

Hymnal Instances

[3]


References

  1. ↑ Emily, Brink (April 1, 1998). Psalter Hymnal Handbook. Grand Rapids, MI: CRC Publications. 
  2. ↑ Hymnary.org (2009). "Text: Silent night, holy night". 
  3. ↑ Hymnary.org (2009). "Instances: Silent Night, Holy Night". 
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