A German Christmas Carol in German and English
Music/Lyrics: Volksweise (Traditional) – Late 19th century
This popular German carol is unusual in several ways. First, unlike most carols, it has a true (six-line) refrain that is sung at the beginning and repeated after each of the song’s three verses. Second, despite being a German carol, the earliest known appearance in print was in the USA (in German!) in 1882, when Heinrich Liebhart published “Liederbuch: Liederlust und Psalter” for use in Methodist Sunday schools in Cincinnati. Liebhart attributed the song’s origins to England (“aus England”), which is odd, as there is no known English version of the carol and he did not name the supposed original version. (More about this carol below.)
Also see video versions of this carol below.
“Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!”“Merry Christmas to One and All!” |
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| Deutsch (German) | English |
|---|---|
| Text: Volksweise (Traditional) | Literal English translation – HF |
| REFRAIN “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!” tönet durch die Lüfte froher Schall. Weihnachtston, Weihnachtsbaum, Weihnachtsduft in jedem Raum! “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!” Tönet durch die Lüfte froher Schall. |
REFRAIN “Merry Christmas to one and all!” resounds joyfully through the air Christmas sound, Christmas tree Christmas scent in every room! “Merry Christmas to one and all!” resounds joyfully through the air. |
| 1 Darum alle stimmet ein in den Jubelton, Denn es kommt das Licht der Welt von des Vaters Thron. “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!”… |
1 Thus all Join in the joyous sound For the Light of the World comes From the Father’s throne. “Merry Christmas to one and all!”… |
| 2 Licht auf dunklem Wege, unser Licht bist du; denn du führst, die dir vertrau’n, ein zu sel’ger Ruh’. “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!”… |
2 Light on the dark path, our light art Thou; for Thou guideth the faithful to blessed peace. “Merry Christmas to one and all!”… |
| 3 Was wir ander’n taten, sei getan für dich, dass bekennen jeder muss, Christkind kam für mich. “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!”… |
3 What we did for others is done for Thee. Each must profess the Christ Child came for me. “Merry Christmas to one and all!”… |
| BACK > German Christmas Carol Lyrics The German Way – www.german-way.com |
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About This Carol
“Fröhliche Weihnacht” (175) in Liebhart’s 1882 songbook. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons
Very little is known about the true origins of this carol. Although it was known in Germany by 1885, the first real documentation of “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!” found in Germany is dated 14 years after the US publication. The Magdeburg organist and composer Rudolph Palme (1834-1909) published a version of the song in “Christnacht und Weihnachten” (Opus 64) in 1896. (See photo on this page.) But it was not until the early 20th century that “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!” was found in many German school songbooks. As a result, the carol had become a Christmas standard in Germany by the second half of the 20th century.
In the 21st century many popular pop singers, including Peter Alexander, Helene Fischer, and Patrick Lindner, have recorded their own versions of the carol. Its popularity stems in part from the carol’s joyous, upbeat rhythm and melody. Most religious carols in German tend to sound more somber and reverential. “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!” is more like the American “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” or other catchy secular Christmas songs. Please listen to the two video versions below. The Wolfgang Petry version is more upbeat. The slower Helene Fischer video has on-screen German lyrics.
Source: Adapted from the German by Tom Borg at lieder-archiv.de)
MORE > The German Way Advent Calendar with Christmas facts (in season)
VIDEOS: The lyrics sung in the two videos below vary slightly from the lyrics above, which are the 1882 original words. Modern versions often alter the lyrics, since there is no copyrighted version.
VIDEO 1: Wolfgang Petry – “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall”
VIDEO 2: Helene Fischer – “Fröhliche Weihnacht überall”
with on-screen lyrics
Next | German Christmas Carol Lyrics in German and English
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