Carols: a correlation?

[Ben Kenobi]

Silent Night

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 Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour 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 "

[Ben Kenobi]

Joy to the World

1.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

2.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

3.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

4.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

[Ben Kenobi]

1.
Adeste fideles
laeti, triumphantes;
Venite, venite
in Bethlehem:
Natum videte
Regem Angelorum:

Chorus
Venite, adorate
Venite, adorate
Venite, adorate Dominum.

2.
Deum de Deo,
lumen de lumine,
gestant puellæ
viscera,
Deum verum,
genitum, non factum.

3.
En grege relicto
humiles ad cunas
Vocati pastores
approperant:
Et nos ovanti
gradu festinemus,

4.
Æterni Parentis
splendorem æternum,
Velatum sub carne
videbimus,
Deum infantem
pannis involutum.

5.
Pro nobis egenum
et fœno cubantem
Piis foveamus
amplexibus:
Sic nos amantem
quis non redamaret?

6.
Cantet nunc Io
chorus Angelorum,
cantet nunc
aula cælestium:
Gloria
in excelsis Deo.

[LordShiva]

O Holy Night

[Ben Kenobi]

The First Noel:

1.
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

2.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

3.
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

4.
This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

5.
Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

6.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

[Ben Kenobi]

Yes, thanks LS.

Really I don't know what Elok is smoking. Yes, What Child is This is very pretty, but so are the others. He also misses out Hark the Herald Angels Sing

[Elok]

Away in a Manger gets points for mentioning Jesus...and loses points for focusing primarily on what a cute widdle baby he is. Silent Night is very picturesque but again not theological until the third verse. Ditto First Noel until the sixth verse. I can't read Latin and I'm too lazy to look it up...it doesn't matter, really. Merge B and C together if you like.

EDIT: I should also add that I'm not too familiar with the songs that annoy me, natch. So I plead guilty to not knowing what I'm talking about WRT the later verses of these songs. I left out Hark the Herald Angels Sing because it's harmful to my case; it's the one song I could think of that's very theological and quite annoying.

[Adalbertus]

Silent Night btw. is a (very) short form of the chrismas gospel according to Luke 2,1-20.
I still don't like it.

[Ben Kenobi]

I can't read Latin and I'm too lazy to look it up...it doesn't matter, really.

No wonder you don't know Adeste Fideles.

As for Away in a Manger you twice pray to Christ. It's one of my personal favourites, although I must say I like What Child is this very much and I haven't ever heard of the other two you mention.

You should post them up, I'd love to learn more.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

Can you read Greek?

[Zkribbler]

No one has yet mentioned the greatest Christmas carol of all time

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

[BlackCat]

Well, since Elok has opened Pandoras Box

[lord of the mark]

most of those secular christmas songs ARE annoying.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," doesn't belong in that list though, its lovely, and if its annoying thats only cause of being overplayed.

The bestest Christmas song though, is Christmas tree my christmas tree/Tannenbaum, mainly cause they usually play only an instrumental version, so I can think of it as "Maryland, my Maryland"


Maryland My Maryland
Written by James Ryder Randall

The despot's heel is on thy shore,
Maryland, My Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!


Hark to an exiled son's appeal,
Maryland, My Maryland!
My Mother State! to thee I kneel,
Maryland, My Maryland!
For life and death, for woe and weal,
Thy peerless chivalry reveal,
And gird they beauteous limbs with steel,
Maryland! My Maryland!

Thou wilt not cower in the dust,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Thy beaming sword shall never rust,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Remember Carroll's sacred trust,
Remember Howard's warlike thrust,-
And all they slumberers with the just,
Maryland! My Maryland!

Come! 'tis the red dawn of the day,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Come with thy panoplied array,
Maryland, My Maryland!
With Ringgold's spirit for the fray,
With Watson's blood at Monterey,
With fearless Lowe and dashing May,
Maryland! My Maryland!

Come! for thy shield is bright and strong,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Come! to thine own heroic throng,
Stalking with Liberty along,
And give a new Key to thy song,
Maryland! My Maryland!

Dear Mother! burst the tyrant's chain,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Virginia should not call in vain!
Maryland, My Maryland!
She meets her sisters on the plain-
"Sic semper!" 'tis the proud refrain
That baffles minions back amain,
Maryland! My Maryland!

I see the blush upon thy cheek,
Maryland, My Maryland!
For thou wast ever bravely meek,
Maryland, My Maryland!
But lo! There surges forth a shriek
From hill to hill, from creek to creek-
Potomac calls to Chesapeake,
Maryland! My Maryland!

Thou wilt not yield the vandal toll,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Thou wilt not crook to his control,
Maryland, My Maryland!
Better the fire upon thee roll,
Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,
Than crucifixion of the soul,
Maryland! My Maryland!

I hear the distant thunder-hum,
Maryland, My Maryland!
The Old Line's bugle, fife, and drum,
Maryland, My Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-
Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!
She breathes! she burns! she'll come! she'll come!
Maryland! My Maryland!