A German Christmas Carol in German and English
“Leise rieselt der Schnee” (“Softly falls the snow”)
“Leise rieselt der Schnee” (“Softly falls the snow”) is a popular German carol about the Christ Child’s arrival and the snow falling in winter. The melody is traditional. The lyrics are from a poem by Eduard Ebel (1839-1905). The original 1895 title was “Weihnachtsgruß” (“Christmas greeting”) in Ebel’s Gesammelte Gedichte (“collection of poems”). Ebel was a Protestant pastor, poet, and composer. More about this song below.
Snow-covered bikes in Erlangen, Germany. PHOTO: AlieC
See a video of this song below, sung by Nana Mouskouri.
“Leise rieselt der Schnee”“Softly falls the snow” |
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| Deutsch (German) | English |
|---|---|
| Text: Eduard Ebel (1895) Volksweise |
Literal English translation – HF Traditional melody |
| Leise rieselt der Schnee, Still und starr ruht* der See. Weihnachtlich glänzet der Wald: Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald! |
Softly falls the snow, Quiet and frozen rests the lake. Christmas-like sparkles the forest: Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here. |
| In den Herzen ist’s warm, Still schweigt Kummer und Harm, Sorge des Lebens verhallt: Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald! |
In our hearts it’s warm, Silent are sorrow and grief, Life’s worries fade away: Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here. |
| Bald ist Heilige Nacht, Chor der Engel erwacht, Horch’ nur wie lieblich es schallt: Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald! |
Soon it’s Christmas Eve, Choir of angels awakes, Just hear how lovely it sounds: Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here. |
| *The original used “liegt [lies] der See,” but today “ruht der See” is more common. BACK > German Christmas Carol Lyrics |
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About This Carol
Eduard Ebel originally called his winter poem simply a “children’s song.” It really isn’t a religious Advent or Christmas song, but its reference to “Heilige Nacht” (“holy night,” Christmas Eve) and the approaching arrival of the Christ Child has made it a popular carol during the early weeks leading up to Christmas. Despite critics who dismiss the song as a lightweight, it continues to be one of the most popular German Christmas carols.
Despite that, or maybe because of that, “Leise rieselt der Schnee” often is used for parody. One popular version with school pupils in the 1980s went like this:
Leise rieselt die Vier
auf das Zeugnispapier.
Horcht nur, wie lieblich es schallt,
wenn mir mein Vater ’n paar knallt!
Softly falls the four (D)
on the report card (paper).
Just hear how lovely it sounds
when my father belts me a few!
Below is a video of the popular Greek singer Nana Mouskouri performing “Leise rieselt der Schnee” – with on-screen lyrics.
VIDEO: “Leise rieselt der Schnee” with Nana Mouskouri (2:15)
Next | German Christmas Carol Lyrics in German and English
Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY
- German Christmas Carol Lyrics in German and English
- Silent Night (Stille Nacht) – Our “Silent Night” page has the true story and related links.
- Lyrics: “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”) – Lyrics in German and English
- Christmas from A to Z – German Christmas traditions and terms
- Advent Calendar – Our GW online calendar with daily Christmas facts starting on December 1
- Christmas Markets in Germany and Europe – An overview of the top Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- Photo Gallery: Christmas in Germany – Berlin – A visual tour of Christmas markets and other December sights in Berlin
- Advent and Christmas – The “arrival”
- Christmas in the USA and Germany– A comparison chart
- Holidays and Celebrations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
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