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Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born to-day;
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born to-day!
Christ is born to-day!
Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart and soul, and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath oped the heavenly door,
And man is blessed evermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart and soul, and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
[J.M. Neale, 1853]
In dulci jubilo
In dulci jubilo, / nun singet und seid froh!
Uns'res Herzens Wonne / liegt in praesepio,
und leuchtet wie die Sonne / matris in gremio,
Alpha es et O, / Alpha es et O.
(You should sing this with very long o's at the end of lines, jubilo becoming jubilo-o-o, froh becoming fro-o-oh and so on, and the next to final O becoming O-o.)
O Jesu parvule, / nach dir ist mir so weh!
Tröst mir mein Gemüte, / - o puer optime,
durch alle deine Güte, / o princeps gloriae,
trahe me post te, / trahe me post te.
Ubi sunt gaudia? / Nun, nirgends mehr als da
wo die Engel singen / die nova cantica
und wo die Schellen klingen / in regis curia.
Eia, wär'n wir da! / Eia, wär'n wir da!
Wittenberg, 14th century.
In dulci jubilo
Old German tune
The original melody employed, as a Cantus firmus, in the following composition, is to be found in an old German book published in the year 1570 - which, from its title and contents, appears to be have contained the ritual of the Protestant Congregations of Zweibrueken and Neuburg. Even there it is called "a very ancient song (uraltes Lied) for Christmas-eve;" so that there can be no doubt that it is one of those old Roman Catholic melodies that Luther, on account of their beauty, retained in the Protestant Service. It was formerly sung in the processions that took place on Christmas-eve, and is still in those remote parts of Germany where people yet retain old customs. The words are rather remarkable, being written half in Latin and half in the upper German dialect. I have translated them to fit the music, and endeavoured to preserve, as much as I could, the simplicity of the original. Of the melody there can be but one opinion; namely, that which in spite of religious animosity, secured it the approbation of the Protestant reformers, and that of the German people during many centuries.
Willsbridge, Gloucestershire, 31st of January, 1837. R.L.Pearsall.
In dulci jubilo / Let us our homage shew;
Our heart's joy recli- / neth in praesepio
And like a bright star shineth, / Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O, / Alpha es et O.
O Jesu parvule! / I yearn for thee alway! [1]
Hear me, I beseech / thee, O puer optime!
My prayer let it reach thee, / O Princeps gloriae!
Trahe me post te! / Trahe me post te!
O Patris caritas, / O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stained / Per nostra crimina;
But thou hast for us gained / Coelorum gaudia.
O that we were there! / O that we were there!
Ubi sunt gaudia, / If that they be not there?
There are angels singing / - Nova cantica,
There the bells are ringing / In Regis curia:
O that we were there, / O that we were there.
[1] Pearsall's translation of this line was "My heart is sore for thee!"