Christmas carols in their original languages

[TheoK]

"Silent Night" in German. 

[TheoK]

Ave Maria in Italian with views of Venice and Rome. 

[TheoK]

The Star of Betlehem in Swedish. 

[Pyraxis]

Cool. I love foreign carols. My parents both know German so they taught me Stille Nacht when I was really little, at the same time as the english version. We actually stood around the piano and sung while my dad played. I get the sense few people do that anymore.

[SovaNu]

ave maria is best.

[Callaway]

This is a great idea, Litigious.

Here is Adeste Fideles by Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras, sung in Italian except for a small part at the end which is in English.

[TheoK]

This song is today mostly known in Sweden and in a few Swedish speaking places in the USA. On December 13th we celebrate Saint Lucy or Sankta Lucia as her name is in Sweden. She was a martyr, who was tormented to death in Syracuse as early as 304. It's odd that she's celebrated here, since we otherwise don't celebrate saints, being a Protestant country. Fact is, that the tradition goes back to the 16th Century, when the monks in the monastery of Marieskog, just a few kilometres from where I live, celebrated her. The province was Norwegian at that time but the northern part with the convent belonged to Sweden 1523-32. After that the convent was torn down. The old winter solstice fell on December 13th until 1753 in Sweden. Since it's so close to Christmas, it's more or less considered part of the Christmas tradition. Every school and almost every working place, hosiptal etc. in Sweden has its "own" Lucia or a Lucia coming to visit. Every town has a contest to choose the "official" Lucia. Lucia has a crown of candles and is followed by "maidens" and "star boys". Most Swedish girls and boys have been maidens or star boys in a Lucia procession, usually in school. Sometimes there are also small Santas in the procession.

The ruins of the Marieskog convent today:





Lucia celebration in a Swedish church:



Rare pic with Lucia at St Paul's Cathedral in London:



Enrico Caruso singing the original Lucia song in a 1916 recording. The melody is the same used in Sweden today, but it's a praise of the part of the city of Naples with the saint's name. A Swedish diplomat is said to have brought the melody to Sweden in the 1860s.

[TheoK]

Jingle Bells. It was translated into Swedish very early, but I always thought the English version was more beautiful. It was actually written by a much poorer and almost unknown relative of J.P. Morgan. Sung by Perry Como. 

[TheoK]

This song is probably not very well known abroad, but I think it's cool. The Swedish tomte is a much older, heathen predecessor of Santa Claus (he's still called tomte today, but he looks like the American Santa Claus nowadays). In Swedish folklore it was believed that he was a small gnome or elf living in the stable. This song tells how the small tomtar come from their hiding places and taste the Yule food. 

[TheoK]

This one is also mostly known in Sweden, I think; "Now thousand Christmas candles are lit". Sung By Agnetha Fältskog and her daughter Linda:

[SovaNu]

This song is probably not very well known abroad, but I think it's cool. The Swedish tomte is a much older, heathen predecessor of Santa Claus (he's still called tomte today, but he looks like the American Santa Claus nowadays). In Swedish folklore it was believed that he was a small gnome or elf living in the stable. This song tells how the small tomtar come from their hiding places and taste the Yule food. 

wtf nooo they've made a fucking electro version of a timeless classic... hmm... i dunno what i think... it's pretty good... but so wrong.

anyway tomte is obviously the same as tonttu. and that's not just swedish folklore, you guys are always trying to hog our stuff.

[Pyraxis]

One of my favorites:



Cantique de Noel (apparently by Adolphe Adam)

Minuit, chrétien, c'est l'heure solennelle
Où l'home Dieu descendit jusque' à nous,
Pour effacer la tache originelle,
Et de son père arrêter le courroux,
La monde entier tressail le dèspérance
A cette nuit qui lui donne un sauveur.
Peuple à genous attends délivrance.
Noël, Noël, voici le Redempteur;
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur.

De notre fois que la lumière ardente
Nous guide tous au berceau de l'enfant.
Comme autre fois une étoile brillante
Y conduisit les chefs de l'Orient.
Le roi des Rois naît dans une humble crêche
Puissants du jour fiers de votre grandeur
A votre orgueil c'est de là du'un Dieu prêche
Courbez vos front devant le Rédempteur.
Courbez vos front devant le Rédempteur.

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave,
La Terre est libre et le Ciel est ouvert.
Il voit un frère où n’était qu’un esclave,
L’amour unit ceux qu’enchaînait le fer.
Qui lui dira notre reconnaissance?
C’est pour nous tous qu’il naît, qu’il souffre et meurt.
Peuple, debout! Chante ta délivrance.
Noël! Noël! Chantons le Rédempteur!
Noël! Noël! Chantons le Rédempteur!

[Blasted]

Pojdzmy wszyscy do stajenki:



Bog sie rodzi:



Oj maluski, maluski:



Lulajze Jezuniu:

[Queen Victoria]

Digging this up from the archives because it's timely.

[Pyraxis]

I still like this stuff...