The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #3510   Message #1376160
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
10-Jan-05 - 05:00 PM
Thread Name: Christmas songs in original languages
Subject: RE: Christmas songs in original languages
Lyrics by Joe Offer lack the repeats of the last two lines of each verse in the original lyrics and music by Mohr and Gruber, e. g., 1st verse:

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft einsam wacht
nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab' im *lokkigten Haar
schlafe in himmlischer Ruh,
schlafe in himmlischer Ruh,
schlafe in himmlischer Ruh,
schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

The last repeats have a different melody from the first two. *curly, spelled lockigten in modern German; is lokkigten dialectical? The above is the 1st verse as it was written by Joseph Mohr, and published later by F. X. Gruber. The repeats are done for all six verses.

Notes, transcription of Gruber's MS of the music, audio, and text of verses 1, 2, and 6 (not 3 as noted) are given here: Stille Nacht

Joe Offer, above, has given all six verses. In the original text by Joseph Mohr the order is different- Joe has the usually sung order, but in Mohr's composition, these are 1, 6, 2, 3, 4, 5.

In Mohr's original lyrics, verse 4 (Joe's 5) is:

Stille nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
Väterlicher Liebe ergoß
Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt.
(Perhaps a Catholic-Protestant difference?)

There are other variations. In verse 5 (Joe's 6), Mohr's line 3 is Als der Herr vom Grimme (wrath) befreit; Joe has vom Zorne (anger, wrath). Not much different.