Wikimedia CC; click to enlarge.
My wife and I went last night with our friends Dan and Tamara Oswald to the Christkindlmarkt at This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City. We washed Wienerschnitzel, Weisswurst, Rotkohl, Spätzle, and cinnamon pretzels down with gespritztem Afpelsaft, and, in the bracing open air, browsed the shops and listened to live Christmas music. Thus inspired, I offer Number Five in my series of seasonal musical pieces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1WHNcnHo4A
Like so much wonderful music, Still, Still, Still comes from Salzburg. (Among other things, a fellow named Mozart was born there.)
The very title seems to put me right into German mode: I actually began, just now, to write that “Like so much wonderful music, Still Still Still kommt aus Salzburg.”
The standard lyrics read like this:
- Still, still, still,
- weil’s Kindlein schlafen will!
- Die Engel tun schön jubilieren,
- Bei dem Kripplein musizieren.
- Stille, stille, stille,
- Weil’s Kindlein schlafen will.
- (2) Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,
- Mein liebes Kindlein, schlaf!
- Maria tut dich [es] niedersingen
- Und ihr treues Herz darbringen.
- Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,
- Mein liebes Kindlein, schlaf!
- (3) Groß, groß, groß,
- Die Lieb’ ist übergroß.
- Gott hat den Himmelsthron verlassen
- Und muß reisen auf der Straßen.
- Groß, groß, groß,
- Die Lieb’ ist übergroß.
- (4) Auf, auf, auf,
- Ihr Adamskinder auf!
- Fallet Jesum all zu Füßen,
- Weil er für uns d’Sünd tut büßen!
- Auf, auf, auf,
- Ihr Adamskinder auf!
- (5) Wir, wir, wir,
- Wir rufen all zu dir:
- “Tu uns des Himmels Reich aufschließen,
- Wenn wir einmal sterben müssen.
- Wir, wir, wir,
- Wir rufen all zu dir.”
- (6) Ruh’t, ruh’t, ruh’t,
- Weil’s Kindlein schlafen tut.
- Sankt Josef löscht das Lichtlein aus,
- Die Englein schützen’s kleine Haus.
- Ruh’t, ruh’t, ruh’t,
- Weil’s Kindlein schlafen tut.
And here’s my rough, non-artistic, literal translation:
- Quiet, quiet, quiet,
- because the little child wants to sleep!
- The angels are beautifully rejoicing,
- making music by the little crib.
- Quiet, quiet, quiet,
- because the little child wants to sleep!
- (2) Sleep, sleep, sleep,
- My dear little child, sleep!
- Mary is singing a lullaby to you
- and offering her faithful heart.
- Sleep, sleep, sleep,
- My dear little child, sleep!
- (3) Great, great, great,
- the love is immensely great.
- God has left his heavenly throne
- And now must travel on our streets.
- Great, great, great,
- the love is immensely great.
- (4) Up, up, up,
- You children of Adam, get up!
- Fall, all of you, at Jesus’ feet,
- Because he atones for all our sins!
- Up, up, up,
- You children of Adam, get up!
- (5) We, we, we,
- We all call to thee:
- “Open the Kingdom of Heaven to us,
- when we someday must die.
- We, we, we,
- We all call to thee.”
- (6) Be still, be still, be still,
- because the little child is sleeping.
- Saint Joseph puts the little light out,
- The little angels guard the tiny house.
- Be still, be still, be still,
- because the little child is sleeping.
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