This song has
become a favourite over the years, although its history makes it an interesting
one for evangelicals in particular to sing. Its popularity in the public
consciousness has been due, in part, by being featured in films such as ‘Home
Alone.’
Its conception
was very humble as, at the end of 1843, the church organ had been recently
renovated in the church at Roquemaure, France. To celebrate the event, the
parish priest persuaded the poet and wine merchant Placide Cappeau, a native of
the town and (incidentally) an atheist, to compose a Christmas poem, which was
originally called Cantique de Noël. The first line was ‘Minuit, Chrètian – c’est
l’heure solonnelle’ (‘Midnight, Christian, is the solemn hour’). Soon afterwards, in the same year, Adolphe
Adam (a Jewish man), a French composer and music critic who wrote mostly operas
and ballets (such as ‘Giselle’), composed the music. The new song was premiered
in Roquemaure in 1847 with the solo performance by the opera singer Emily
Laurey.
The wide vocal
range of the tune makes it one of the hardest Christmas songs for a
congregation to sing well. In Francophonic churches, it is commonly sung at the
commencement of Midnight Mass.
The Unitarian
minister, a schoolmaster at the Brook Farm commune, music critic and editor of
Dwight’s Journal of Music, John Dwight, adapted the song into English in 1855.
This particular version became popular in the United States of America,
especially in the north of the country, where the third verse (including the
words ‘Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, And in his name all
oppression shall cease’) found a ready audience with the abolitionists. The
fact that John Dwight was to be the first influential music critic of the USA
probably explains why this song is more popular in that nation than in Europe,
However, it is
not only this ‘translator’s’ cultural reference that influence the words that
are commonly sung today. It is his unitarian beliefs that are evident.
Unitarians reject the trinitarian nature of the Godhead, stating that there is
one God and citing the oneness or unity of God. The result is that the divinity
of Jesus Christ is denied; His life and teaching of Jesus constituting only the
exemplary model for a person to live their life.
The lyrics as
translated by John Dwight, and are usually sung by churches today, are as
below. There will be opportunity to compare with the original words below.
O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
of our dear Saviour’s birth
Long lay the
world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears
and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of
hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder
breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your
knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born
O night, O holy
night, O night divine!
Led by the
light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing
hearts by his cradle we stand
So led by light
of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the
Wise Men from Orient land
The King of
kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our
trials born to be our friend
He knows our
need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your
King; before him lowly bend
Behold your
King; before him lowly bend
Truly he taught
us to love one another;
His law is love
and his Gospel is Peace
Chains shall he
break, for the slave is our brother
And in his
name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of
joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within
us praise his holy name
Christ is the
lord; O praise his name forever!
His power and
glory evermore proclaim
His power and
glory evermore proclaim
The original
words with their transliteration in red are below. It is interesting to note
the emphasis of the divinity of Jesus and our salvation by the death of the
Saviour that the previous version misses.
Minuit!
Chrètians, c’est l’heure solennelle
Midnight!
Christians, it is the solemn hour
Où l’homme Dieu
descendit jusqu’ä nous,
When
man-God descended to us,
Pour effacer la
tache originelle
To
erase the original stain
Et de son père arrêter
le courroux:
And of
His Father to stop the wrath
Le monde entire
tressaile d’espérance
The
whole world trembles with hope
A cette nuit
qui lui donne un sauveur
On
this night the Saviour is given
Peuple à
genoux, attends ta délivrance
Kneeling
people wait for your deliverance
Noël! Noël!
Voici le Rédempteur!
Christmas!
Christmas! Here is the Redeemer!
Noël! Noël!
Voici le Rédempteur!
Christmas!
Christmas! Here is the Redeemer!
De notre foi
que la lumiére ardente
By
faith we see the fiery light
Nous guide tous
au berceau de l’enfant
That
leads to the child’s cradle
Comme
autrefois, une étoile brillante
As in
the past, a shining star
Y conduisit le
chefs de l’Orient
Led
the leaders of the East
Le Roi des Rois
naît dans une humble crèche
The
King of kings born in a humble manger
Puissants du
jour fiers de votre grandeur,
The
mighty of the day, proud of your greatness
A votre orgueil
c’est de la qu’un Dieu prêche,
To
your pride from there [the manger] that God preaches
Courbez vos
fronts devant le Rédempteur!
Bow
your heads before the Redeemer
Courbez vos
fronts devant le Rédempteur!
Bow
your heads before the Redeemer
Le Rédempteur a
brisé toute entrave,
The
Redeemer has broken all hindrance
La terre est
libre et le ciel est overt
The
earth is free and the sky is open
Il voit un
frére où n’était qu’un esclave
He
sees a brother where only was a slave
L’amour unit
ceux qu’enchaînait le fer,
Love
unites those who were chained in iron
Qui lui dira
notre reconnaissance?
Who
will tell him our gratitude?
C’est pour nous
tous qu’il naît, qu’il souffre et meurt:
For
all of us he was born, suffered and died
Peuple, dobout!
Chant ta délivrance,
People,
stand! Sing of your deliverance.
Noël! Noël! Chantons le Rédempteur!
Christmas!
Christmas! Sing to the Redeemer!
Noël! Noël!
Chantons le Rédempteur!
Christmas!
Christmas! Sing to the Redeemer!
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