Silent Night

Here you’ll find lyrics to the Christmas Carol Silent Night. Silent Night is one of our most known Christmas songs. It’s been translated to numerous different languages, and is sung at Christmas all over the world year after year.

About

Some facts about Silent Night:

  • The original lyrics comes from a poem written in 1816 by the austrian priest Josef Mohr (1792–1848).
  • The story goes that when the church organ broke down on Christmas eve in 1818, Josef asked Franz Gruber (1787–1863) 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 (1820–1885) in 1859.

If you’re a piano or guitar player, you probably want to check out the version of Silent night with chords added to the lyrics.

Lyrics

Lyrics to Silent Night.

English version

English lyrics to Silent Night. This well known Anglo-American version was written in 1859 by John Freeman Young.

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.

German original

The original German lyrics to Silent Night. Written in 1816 by the Austrian priest Josef Mohr.

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar.
Holder Knab’ im lockigen Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb’ aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn,
Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt sehn,
Jesum in Menschengestalt!
Jesum in Menschengestalt!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
Väterlicher Liebe ergoß,
Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt!
Jesus die Völker der Welt!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit
In der Väter urgrauer Zeit
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß!
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Alleluja,
Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah:
Jesus der Retter ist da!
Jesus der Retter ist da!

See also