"Silent Night" (German: Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song Stille Nacht were written in Oberndorf, Austria by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber. In 1859, John Freeman Young (second Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Florida) published the English translation that is most frequently sung today. The version of the melody that is generally sung today differs slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original, which was a sprightly, dance-like tune in 6/8, as opposed to the slow, meditative lullaby version generally sung today. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain.
"Silent Night" in 1632[]
It is not clear whether any of Grantville's libraries had a copy of the original German lyrics from OTL.
While visiting Joachim von Thierbach and his family one Christmas, Chip Jenkins told the story of the song's origin, and played a version that he had translated from English into German, thereby introducing it into the Germany of the 1630s.[1]
References[]
- ↑ Grantville Gazette IV, "Chip’s Christmas Gift".