Little seems to be known about this carol; the best note I found is in Hymns and Carols of Christmas.

"The tune for this carol can be found in R. Grosjean's "Airs des noêl lorrain" (1862), where it is called 'Ancien air de chasse' [old hunting song], and it is indeed the case that an old Normandy hunting tune 'Tête bizarde', although in 6/8, is melodically very similar. The "Shorter New Oxford Book of Carols" editors postulated that the tune is an 18th c. composition in a rustic style.
The text of this carol was first published in Dom G. Legeay's "Noêls anciens" (1875-6)." "An English version of the lyric .... Geoffrey Brace's "Carol for Christmas Singers, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1991, ..."
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols_/NonEnglish/il_est_ne.htm
Masato (above) links translations in Hymns and Carols .... The Wilcocks-John Rutter arrangement is commonly used by choirs.

On the St. Regis Mohawk Reserve, NY, the carol is sung as "Rotonni Niio Roienha" (19th c. introduction?).