One of the
most colourful traditions that exist during Christmas time consists of Singing
or listening Christmas Carols. They are expressions of the different cultures
and even languages involved in a worldwide Christmas celebration. In a World
that is more interconnected, it is not rare to listen to Christmas Carols sung
in a language different than the ones spoken in our daily lives.
I
personally, in December, dedicate some of my free time to look for Christmas Songs
as they are sung around the world, and try look for their lyrics in their
original languages. Today I want to share a selection of Christmas sons in my
blog, based mostly in my own preferences. I hope it will be useful if you want
ideas about where to look for new and different Christmas songs or to have a
better idea on how do they celebrate Christmas in other cultures. If you want
more ideas, there are plenty of them in Youtube and in many other pages.
UK
-The Holly
and the Ivy
-Once in
Royal David’s City
-What
Child is This?
-Nativity
Carol
-Sussex
Carol
-Masters
in This Hall
-The
First Noel
-Past
Three O’clock
USA
-White
Christmas
-It came
upon the Midnight Clear
-12 days
of Christmas
-Jingle
Bells
France
-Cantique
de Noël
-Les
Anges dans nos campagnes (In English it Is known with the name “Angels We have
heard on High” – En español se le conoce como “Angeles Cantando Estan”)
-Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris: Between the Ox and the Grey Ass – Entre el burro
Gris y el Buey
-Petit Papa Noël: Little Christmas Dad – Pequeño Papá
Noel
-Il est né, le divin Enfant: He is born, the Divine
Child – Ha nacido, el Divino Niño
Germany
-Es ist
ein Ros entsprungen: A Rose has sprung up – Una rosa ha brotado.
-O
Tannenbaum: O fir tree – Oh abeto
-Fröhliche
Weihnacht überall: Merry Christmas everywhere – Feliz Navidad por doquier.
-Ihr
Kinderlein, kommet: Oh Come, little children – Venid Niñitos
-In dulci
jubilo: (Originally sang in a mix of phrases in Latin and German. Now is mostly
sing in Latin and English) : In Sweet rejoicing – En dulce Júbilo.
Austria
-Stille
Nacht: Silent night – Noche de Paz
Netherlands
(Dutch)
-Nu Zijt
Wellekome: You are Welcome! – eres bienvenido!
Sweeden (Sweedish).
-Gläns över
sjö och Strand: Shine Over the Lake and the Shore – Brilla sobre el Lago y la Costa
-Nu tändas tusen juleljus: Now are lit a thousand Christmas candles –
Mil Luces (Con ese nombre se tradujo en España)
-Julen är här: christmas is here – La Navidad esta aquí
-När juldagsmorgon glimmar: When christmas morn is dawning- Cuando la mañana
de Navidad Brilla
-Vinterhamn: Winter harbour.
-En Skrift i snöm: A Scripture in the Snow – una escritura
en la nieve
Ukraine (Ukrainian)
-Щедрик (Shchedryk: Originally
a song for New Year. The famous Christmas carol “Carols of the bells” is based
in this song).
-Добрий вечір тобі: Good evening to you – Buenas Noches
a tí
-Нова радість стала: A New Joy Came –
Ha venido una nueva Alegría
- Дивная новина (Divnaya
Novyna)
- Бог предвічний
народився: God Eternal is Born – Ha Nacido Dios Eterno
Iceland (Icelandic)
-Hátíð fer að höndum ein: A Holiday is coming – Una Fiesta esta
llegando.
-Í heitri þökk: With Warm Thanks – En cálido
Agradecimiento
-Heyr himna smiður: Hear Heavenly Creator – Escucha Creador
Celestial.
In Spanish (Mostly from Spain)
-Pastores Venid
-A la Nanita Nana
-Rin rin
This list cannot be completed if I do not include
Christmas songs from my country of Birth, Venezuela. They are mostly sung in
Spanish:
El Niño Criollo
Niño Lindo
Cantemos Cantemos
Din Din Din
A ti te Cantamos
Canada, where I live now, has a strong influence from
British and French Culture that can be seen in its Christmas traditions. However,
there is an important Christmas song from this country called “The Huron Carol”
or also “Jesous Ahatonia”. Today, this
Carol is sung mostly in English, but its original lyrics were composed in
Wyandot language, a native Iroquoian language from Huron area.
There are also Christmas songs sung in Esperanto. They
are mostly translations from other well known Christmas songs. But Esperantists
also dedicated to write their own Carols. I found one written and sung only in
Esperanto, called Paŝoj: Steps – Pasos.
Some Christmas Carols also have exceptionally
beautiful lyrics in languages different than their ones in which they were
composed. This is the reason why I like
to hear Christmas carols in different languages.
The most famous is Stille Nacht. In http://www.silentnight.web.za/translate/
the show translations of this Carol in aprox 140 languages, from its original
German, to languages like English, Low Saxon, Dutch, and then Russian,
Lithuanian, Japanese and even Esperanto and Klingon. The Title “Stille Nacht”
has been translated like “Silent Night” in English, “Noche de Paz” in Spanish, “Astro
del Ciel” in Italian, “Aid el-leil” (عيد الليل) in Arabic, “Ping’an ye” (平安夜) in Chinese, “Santa nit” in Catalan, “Nuit
de Paix” in French, “Hljóða Nótt” in Icelandic, “Ora Solem” in Papiamentu, “Noite
de Paz” in Portuguese, “Tihaja Noch” (Тихая Ночь) in Russian, “Stilla Natt” in Swedish, “Tiha Nich” (Тиха Ніч) in Ukrainian, “Tawel
Nos” in Welsh and “Paca Nokt’ ” in Esperanto. At least these are the languages in
which I heard this song.
Cantique
de Noël is another carol that I heard in different languages. Translated from
its French Original, in youtube I found “ O Holy Night” in English, “Noche de
bien” in Spanish, “Mitternacht” in German, “O heil’ge Nacht” in Dutch, “O helga
natt” in Sweedish, “Svjataja Noch” (Святая ночь) in Russian and “Ó
Helga nótt” in Icelandic.
O Tannenbaum in other languages: in English: “O fir
tree”; in Spanish: “Oh abeto”; in French: “Mon beau sapin”; in Estonian: “Oh
kuusepuu”; in Dutch: “O dennenboom”; in Russian: “О Ёлочка” (O jolochka); in Hungarian: “Ó szép fenyő”.
Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year to all my Friends!
