Page 14 ! December 20, 2018 ! Merry Christmas SILENT NIGHT: Today’s translation appeared in 1863 CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE collaboration are not officially recorded, a popular supposition is that it was written for guitar accompaniment because the church organ was no longer working. While the song was never lost or forgotten – as some legends would have it – it took some years before the world- famous carol become well known. The “Silent Night” translation 1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 1. Silent night! Holy night! that we sing today in English first SILENT Alles schläft; einsam wacht All are sleeping, alone and awake appeared in 1863 – the year of NIGHT IN Nur das traute heilige Paar. Only the intimate holy pair, Franz Gruber’s death, and some Holder Knab im lockigten Haar, Lovely boy with curly hair, 45 years after the song’s initial TRANSLATION Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! Sleep in heavenly peace! performance in that Austrian Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! Sleep in heavenly peace! church. Adjascent is the Because of damage from complete German 2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 2. Silent night! Holy night! flooding at the end of the 19th text from an authentic Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht Son of God, O how he laughs century, the St. Nicholas church version of Franz Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Love from your divine mouth, was demolished and replaced in Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund‘. Then it hits us - the hour of salvation. 1906 with a church in the new Gruber’s known as Jesus in deiner Geburt! Jesus at your birth! town center. A decade later, the Autograph VII and Jesus in deiner Geburt! Jesus at your birth! foundation stone for a memorial written around 1860. chapel was laid on the site of the 3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 3. Silent night! Holy night! original church; it was consecrated Die der Welt Heil gebracht, Which brought salvation to the world, in 1937. There’s room for little Next to the German Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn From Heaven’s golden heights, more than 30 people on the text is a direct Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh´n Mercy’s abundance was made visible pews, but it includes two arched translation into English. Jesum in Menschengestalt, Jesus in human form, stained glass windows that Jesum in Menschengestalt Jesus in human form. recognize Gruber and Mohr. This The intent here is not to is a translation of the text in the make translated lyrics 4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 4. Silent night! Holy night! window featuring Father Mohr, which fit the melody, Wo sich heut alle Macht Where on this day all power which is pictured on the cover: but rather to provide Väterlicher Liebe ergoß of fatherly love poured forth “Here curate Josef Mohr Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß And like a brother lovingly embraced created the song’s lyrics. the reader with a better Jesus die Völker der Welt, Jesus the peoples of the world, Silent Night / Holy Night understanding of the Jesus die Völker der Welt. Jesus the peoples of the world. Oberndorf original German text. Here stood the former parish 5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 5. Silent night! Holy night! church in which the song was sung Lange schon uns bedacht, Already long ago planned for us, for the first time during Christmas Most English Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit, When the Lord frees from wrath mass in 1818. versions of “Silent In der Väter urgrauer Zeit Since the beginning of ancient times Donor: Ostmärkischer Night!” include just Aller Welt Schonung verhieß, A salvation promised for the whole world. Sängerbund (choir), Vienna 1935.” three verses. These Aller Welt Schonung verhieß. A salvation promised for the whole world. Ever since then, the memorial chapel attracts thousands of correspond to a 6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 6. Silent night! Holy night! pilgrims every year on their search translation from the Hirten erst kundgemacht To shepherds it was first made known for the roots of this world-famous original text of verses Durch der Engel Alleluja, By the angel, Alleluia; Christmas carol. “Silent Night” is Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah: Sounding forth loudly far and near: still sung there each year, at 5 p.m. 1, 6 and 2, in that Jesus der Retter ist da! Jesus the Savior is here! on Christmas Eve. order. Jesus der Retter ist da! Jesus the Savior is here! SOURCE: STILLENACHT.AT Source: www.stillenacht.at and www.german-way.com The World War 1 Christmas Truce One of the most compelling sto- ported to headquarters: “Germans had believed, would be over by rial War Museums, is that the truce the Germans – which the Germans ries about “Silent Night” is what have illuminated their trenches, Christmas, yet there they were in extended along at least two – thirds claimed to have won, 3-2. happened in 1914, 96 years after it are singing songs and wishing us Christmas week still muddied, cold of British – held trench line that In most places, up and down the was written. a Happy Xmas. Compliments are and in battle. Then, on Christmas scarred southern Belgium. line, it was accepted that the truce World War I was a brutal war; being exchanged but am never- Eve itself, several weeks of mild British troops noticed at dawn would be purely temporary. Men between 1914 and 1918, more than theless taking all military precau- but miserably soaking weather the Germans had placed small returned to their trenches at dusk, 25 million people were killed or tions.” Further along the line, the gave way to a sudden, hard frost, Christmas trees along parapets of in some cases summoned back by injured. That makes the account of two sides serenaded each other creating a dusting of ice and snow their trenches. Slowly, parties of flares, but for the most part de- the famous 1914 Christmas Truce with carols – the German “Silent along the front that made the men men from both sides began to ven- termined to preserve the peace at so remarkable. On the first Christ- Night” being met with a British on both sides feel that something ture toward the barbed wire that least until midnight. There was mas of the war, for just a few brief chorus of “The First Noel” – and spiritual was taking place. separated them, until – Rifleman more singing, and in at least one hours, men from both sides on scouts met, cautiously, in no man’s Just how widespread the truce Oswald Tilley told his parents in a spot presents were exchanged. the Western Front laid down their land, the shell – blasted waste be- was is hard to say. It was certainly letter home – “literally hundreds arms, emerged from their trenches, tween the trenches. The war diary not general – there are plenty of of each side were out in no man’s But the truce was short – lived. and shared food, carols, games and of the Scots Guards records that accounts of fighting continuing land shaking hands. comradeship. a certain Private Murker “met a through the Christmas season in Fighting erupted again the next The Wall Street Journal ob- German Patrol and was given a some sectors, and others of men They also shared a common day … The war was on again, and served: “What appears from the glass of whisky and some cigars, fraternizing to the sound of guns interest in “football,” which we there would be no further truce winter fog and misery is a Christ- and a message was sent back say- firing nearby. One common fac- know as soccer. until the general armistice of No- mas story, a fine Christmas story ing that if we didn’t fire at them, tor seems to have been that Saxon vember 1918. Many, perhaps close that is, in truth, the most faded and they would not fire at us.” troops – universally regarded as Perhaps it was inevitable that to the majority, of the thousands tattered of adjectives: inspiring.” Several factors combined to pro- easygoing – were the most likely some men on both sides would pro- of men who celebrated Christmas Here are excerpts from an article duce the conditions for this Christ- to be involved, and to have made duce a ball and – freed briefly from 1914 together would not live to see written by Mike Dash for smithso- mas Truce. By December 1914, the the first approaches to their British the confines of the trenches – take the return of peace. But for those nianmag.com in December 2011. men in the trenches were veterans, counterparts. “We are Saxons, you pleasure in kicking it about. What who did survive, the truce was familiar enough with the realities are Anglo-Saxons,” one shouted followed, though, was something something that would never be for- The first signs that something of combat to have lost much of the across no man’s land. “What is more than that, for if the story of gotten. strange was happening occurred idealism that they had carried into there for us to fight about?” The the Christmas Truce has its jew- on Christmas Eve. At 8:30 p.m. an war in August, and most longed for most detailed estimate, made by el, it is the legend of the match officer of the Royal Irish Rifles re- an end to bloodshed. The war, they Malcolm Brown of Britain’s Impe- played between the British and .