Father Joseph Mohr, of Austrian German descent, wrote the lyrics to one of our more popular Christmas carols, Silent Night. Now over 200 years old, Silent Night was first sung on Christmas Eve, 1818, under the title, Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht. Franz Xavier Gruber is credited with writing the melody and sang with Mohr, who also played the guitar.
Silent Night became extremely popular and was translated into 300+ languages and was even bellowed on the battlefield during WW1! A most welcome but temporary truce came about on Christmas Eve and the soldiers sang Christmas carols from their home countries; Silent Night was proclaimed in German, English and French.
It was 1859 when the already popular tune was published in English by a priest in New York, John Freeman Young. In 1935, Bing Crosby recorded Silent Night and sold over 30 million copies.
Known around the world, Silent Night surely has some amazing stories that we haven’t even heard. While researching the song, I found that supposedly, in the Austrian alps, you are only allowed to sing or play the song on Christmas Eve. The creepy, and rather cruel, legend told to children is that someone will die if it is sung at any other time!
Even though this beloved song doesn’t necessarily have a dramatic back-story, it has brought joy, comfort, and peace to millions. For example, one of the coolest stories about this song comes from the country of Latvia, where The Sweetheart and I were blessed to be a part of a team sent to start churches in the capital city of Riga. When the beautiful Silent Night is sung or played, the Latvian people stand in reverence. When asked why, they respond, “Because we can.”
Under Soviet rule for so many years, singing was taken away from them, including beloved Christmas carols such as Silent Night. Now free from occupation, they do not take it lightly to be able to sing in public and therefore, stand in honor and reverence, giving thanks to God for that Silent Night so many years ago when a Savior was born to redeem us all.
The words we sing today to Silent Night are vastly different than what Mohr had written over 200 years ago. Here are the original verses translated from German.
Silent night! Holy night!
All are sleeping, alone and awake
Only the intimate holy pair,
Lovely boy with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, O how he laughs
Love from your divine mouth,
Then it hits us – the hour of salvation.
Jesus at your birth!
Jesus at your birth!
Silent night! Holy night!
Which brought salvation to the world,
From Heaven’s golden heights,
Mercy’s abundance was made visible to us:
Jesus in human form,
Jesus in human form.
Silent night! Holy night!
Where on this day all power
of fatherly love poured forth
And like a brother lovingly embraced
Jesus the peoples of the world,
Jesus the peoples of the world.
Silent night! Holy night!
Already long ago planned for us,
When the Lord frees from wrath
Since the beginning of ancient times
A salvation promised for the whole world.
A salvation promised for the whole world.
Silent night! Holy night!
To shepherds it was first made known
By the angel, Alleluia;
Sounding forth loudly far and near:
Jesus the Saviour is here!
Jesus the Saviour is here!
Remember as you sing this song this Christmas season, and you surely will, that because of Jesus, because He lives, because He overcame, we can too! We have hope of eternal life . No matter what is collapsing around us we can literally sleep in heavenly peace. Because of Jesus.
