background is an old music sheet of silent night, with an evergreen tree and snowy landscape. Text says austrian christmas song stille nacht, heilige nacht, silent night
German Christmas Songs

Austrian Christmas Song: Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht – Silent Night

December 8, 2020

One of the most famous Christmas songs is Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, known in English as Silent Night. It has been translated into 320 languages and dialects, and since 2011 it has been an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Austria.

josef mohr austria stille nacht silent night
Werner100359 - CC BY 3.0, wikimedia commons, 12848432
stille nacht xaver gruber silent night austria
Werner100359 - CC BY 3.0, wikimedia commons 12848680
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht - 100 year anniversary

History

In 1816, the priest Joseph Mohr wrote the poem that would later become the popular song. He asked the teacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber to write music to his poem. On December 24, 1818 they performed the song in the Catholic church St. Nikola in Oberndorf near Salzburg, Austria, accompanied by guitar because the organ had been destroyed due to flooding.

Stille nacht kapelle österreich austria silent chapel
Stille Nacht Kapelle in Oberndorf Von Holger Uwe Schmitt - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55066084
stille nacht lyrics and notes
Text and Music of "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" - Von Rettinghaus - Volksliederbuch für gemischten Chor, Leipzig 1915, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40855054

Renditions

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht is the first song in my German Christmas Song playlist. It is sung by the largest chorus of Austria. They gathered on the Stadtplatz (town place) in Steyr in 2018 to sing this beautiful Christmas carol.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!

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

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!

The next video is from a concert by the St. Florianer Sängerknaben, one of the oldest musical institutions in Upper Austria, founded in 1071. Here they sing all six verses of the iconic Christmas carol. Find out more about them here.

Sources and Resources

christmas carol christmas song silent night stille nacht heilige nacht weihnachtslied