O Holy Night! lyrics/translation change

Music
#1

This vid will play in youtube.

Is anything sacred? Interesting changes I never knew about, and sharing.
What are the lyrics to ‘O Holy Night’?

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;
Chorus
Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

The most popular English rendition of “Cantique de Noël” was translated by American music critic and minister John Sullivan Dwight in 1855. An ordained minister and Unitarian, he soon departed from the vocation of ministry to instead pursue a career in music and teaching. Dwight was influenced by the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is accepted that Dwight altered Cappeau’s lyrics significantly more than would have been necessary to produce a singable translation, changing the meaning of certain parts. “O hear the angel voices […] O night divine” replaced “Await your deliverance […] Behold the Redeemer” and “With all our hearts we praise his holy name” replaced “It is for us that he was born, that he suffered and died.” Another English translation , “O Night Divine”, was done by American musician Hart Pease Danks who was influenced by Dwight’s version as early as 1885, and both competed in popularity. [Wikipedia]

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#2

The alteration is quite profound, actually negating the divinity of Christ, as one would expect from a Unitarian, as well as watering down the traditional soteriology expressed in the original French text. Compare the above to a literal translation of the lyrics:
Midnight! Christians, it’s the solemn hour
When the man-God came down to us,
To wipe away original sin
And stop the wrath from His Father
The entire world trembles with hope
For this night that gives it a Savior
People on your knees, await your deliverance
Christmas! Christmas! Here is the Redeemer!
Christmas! Christmas! Here is the Redeemer!

Sorta like what Heavyside did to Maxwell :grimacing:! Just sayin’…
Merry Christmas, everyone!

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#3

More errors from the side of the church COE in the continuing modernisation that began well before Vatican 2 when RC finally undermined the magisterium.

#4

**Andrea Bocelli - Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night) as originally sung with original lyrics (translated from French to English subtitles) **

Original lyrics and backstory :

"The original lyrics for “O Holy Night” were written in 1847 by Placide Capeau, a Frenchman, at the request of his parish priest. The author was so encouraged by what he had written that he asked his Jewish friend and composer, Adolphe Adam, to set the lyrics to music. The result,”Cantique de Noel,” was immediately received by the church. But Cappeau was a wine merchant by trade and not a regular churchgoer. He eventually joined a socialist movement and stopped attending church altogether. In response, his song was banned in France for two decades. But across the Atlantic, the song gained momentum through a translation made by the Unitarian minister and abolitionist, John Sullivan Dwight. To see how much the song changed from the original, here is a literal translation of Cappeau’s lyrics:

Midnight, Christians, it is the solemn hour,
When God as man descended unto us
To erase the stain of original sin
And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Saviour.
People kneel down, wait for your deliverance.
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!

May the ardent light of our Faith
Guide us all to the cradle of the infant,
As in ancient times a brilliant star
Guided the Oriental kings there.
The King of Kings was born in a humble manger;
O mighty ones of today, proud of your greatness,
It is to your pride that God preaches.
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!

The Redeemer has broken every bond:
The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was only a slave,
Love unites those that iron had chained.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude,
For all of us He is born, He suffers and dies.
People stand up! Sing of your deliverance,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!

It’s not difficult to see that Dwight moved the emphasis of the song away from the Incarnation as God’s means to redeem men from sin. Instead, his lyrics stressed the universal longing for peace and justice which God’s Kingdom inaugurated."

Source: “O Holy Night” Revisited | Worship Matters

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#5

Loved IT!
Thanks for the link!

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