Lyrics to the Christmas Carol Silent Night. The original lyrics comes from a poem written in 1816 by an austrian priest named Josef Mohr. The story goes that when the church organ broke down on Christmas eve in 1818, Josef asked Franz Gruber to compose a melody to the poem. Franz created a guitar accompaniment and at the mass that evening they performed the new song together with the children’s choir.
The english lyrics was written by John Freeman Young in 1859.
Lyrics
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
sleep in Heavenly peace!
sleep in Heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from Heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, Love’s pure light
radiant, beams from Thy Holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.