Overview
Introduction
"O Holy Night" (French: Cantique de Noël) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by a wine merchant and poet, Placide Cappeau (1808–1877).
In Roquemaure at the end of the year 1843, the church organ was recently renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest asked Cappeau, native from this town, to write a Christmas poem, even though the latter never showed an interest in religion, and Cappeau obliged.
Soon after, Adam wrote the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey.
Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau's French text in 1855. In both the French original and in the two familiar English versions of the carol, as well as many other languages, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus and of humanity's redemption.
Lyrics
约翰·苏利文·德怀特所作英文版 | ||
---|---|---|
第一段 | ||
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, |
||
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! |
||
第二段 | ||
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming, |
||
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, |
||
第三段 | ||
Truly He taught us to love one another; |
||
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever, |