Friday, December 14, 2007

O Christmas Tree - O Tannenbaum






O Christmas Tree
English Version 1
Author unknown

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
In beauty green will always grow
Through summer sun and winter snow.
O Christmas tree,
O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
You are the tree most loved!
How often you give us delight
In brightly shining Christmas light!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
You are the tree most loved!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Your beauty green will teach me
That hope and love will ever be
The way to joy and peace for me.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Your beauty green will teach me.






O Christmas Tree
English Version 2
Author unknown

O Christmas Tree,
O Christmas Tree,
How steadfast are your branches!
Your boughs are green in summer's clime
And through the snows of wintertime.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How steadfast are your branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
What happiness befalls me
when oft at joyous Christmas-time
Your form inspires my song and rhyme.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,



What happiness befalls me
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your boughs can teach a lesson
That constant faith and hope sublime
Lend strength and comfort through all time.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your boughs can teach a lesson

The English Tannenbaum lyrics above represent just two of many traditional and contemporary English versions of “O Christmas Tree.” The English lyrics above follow the original German fairly closely, but there are at least a dozen different English versions of “O Christmas Tree” (not counting parodies) — most by unknown authors. The traditional melody of “O Tannenbaum” has also found use in non-Christmas songs. Four U.S. states (Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and New Jersey) have borrowed the melody for their state song.




Deutsch
Tannenbaum
TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824
MELODIE: Volksweise (traditional)


O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren.


A Tannenbaum is a fir tree (die Tanne) or Christmas tree (der Weihnachtsbaum). Although most Christmas trees today are Fichten (spruce) rather than Tannen, the qualities of the evergreen have inspired musicians to write several “Tannenbaum” songs in German over the years. The best known version (above) was penned in 1824 by a Leipzig organist named Ernst Anschütz. The melody is an old folk tune. The first known “Tannenbaum” song lyrics date back to 1550. A similar 1615 song by Melchior Franck (1573-1639) goes: “Ach Tannebaum, ach Tannebaum, du bist ein edler Zweig! Du grünest uns den Winter, die lieben Sommerzeit.”
For more German christmas songs:
Christmas carols in English:

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how many versions there are of this beautiful carol. I also like the Bonney M version and Nana Mouskouri singing it in French. It's also on my list of carols for the Christmas Activities next Thursday. Children love it and they're going to sing it in English , French, German and Greek

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