{"id":113975,"date":"2025-12-09T23:41:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T06:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=113975"},"modified":"2025-12-10T11:37:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:37:43","slug":"still-still-still","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2025\/12\/still-still-still.html","title":{"rendered":"“Still, still, still”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Landscaping<\/a>
Near the seashore at Newport Beach (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We had lunch today at The Farmhouse<\/a> at Roger\u2019s Gardens<\/a>, here in Newport Beach. \u00a0It\u2019s a tradition for us now, of several years\u2019 standing, though it doesn\u2019t go back to my time with my parents. \u00a0Instead, it was our late neighbor and friend Melanie Bastian<\/a> who introduced my wife to it. \u00a0And we\u2019ve loved the place ever since.<\/p>\n

My zealous critics over at the Peterson Obsession Board will have already guessed at the truth, so I might as well frankly acknowledge it: \u00a0This . . . well, this wasn\u2019t the first time that I\u2019ve eaten during this trip. \u00a0And yes, it\u2019s probable that I\u2019ll eat yet again while I\u2019m down here. \u00a0There\u2019s no use trying to deny it. \u00a0That\u2019s just the kind of lowlife that I am. \u00a0And I enjoyed<\/em> it.<\/p>\n

We won\u2019t have the opportunity during this trip, though, to go to Five Crowns<\/a>, in the Corona Del Mar section of Newport Beach, which is just a few minutes away. \u00a0It was my brother\u2019s very favorite restaurant, but I think that I\u2019ve only been back to it once since his death more than thirteen years ago. \u00a0I don\u2019t know why. \u00a0Maybe next time.<\/p>\n

\"Jimmy<\/a>
Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart in one of the concluding and climatic scenes from \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We watched It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em> last night. \u00a0I haven\u2019t seen it in several years, but I enjoyed it again yesterday evening. \u00a0Schmalzy? \u00a0I suppose. \u00a0But it\u2019s a great film, justly famous, and it\u2019s well worth watching at Christmas time.<\/p>\n

I had neither seen It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em> nor so much as heard<\/em> of it before I arrived as a student at BYU. \u00a0But I\u2019ve loved it ever since then, when I first saw it. \u00a0If you haven\u2019t yet seen the film, please do so. \u00a0If it\u2019s been a long time since you\u2019ve seen it, please watch it again.<\/p>\n

You might also enjoy this modest little three-minute movie: \u00a0\u201cNativity Story Comes Alive in Kenya: Africa Central Area Creates Video for Global Light the World Initiative\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Great,<\/a>
The cover of 1970 paperback edition in which I first read C. S. Lewis\u2019s The Last Battle\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the final book of C. S. Lewis\u2019s great \u201cChronicles of Narnia,\u201d after the last great battle for Narnia when the kings and queens and faithful servants of Narnia are pressed to the wall against foreign invaders and Narnian traitors, those who are \u00a0loyal to the last king, Tirian, are forced into a small stable at the top of a hill. \u00a0As they are forced into the stable, they expect to meet Tash, the evil, cruel, and false god of the Calormenes. \u00a0Instead, and to their amazement, they find that they have entered another world. Unlike most of the other members of Narnia\u2019s royalty, King Tirian had never traveled between worlds. \u00a0 He doesn\u2019t quite understand what\u2019s going on. \u00a0So he peeks back through the stable door to see the fading fire beside the stable, which is Narnia on its last evening.<\/p>\n

Tirian looked round again and could hardly believe his eyes. There was the blue sky overhead, and grassy country spreading as far as he could see in every direction, and his new friends all round him laughing.
\n\u201cIt seems, then,\u201d said Tirian, smiling himself, \u201cthat the stable seen from within and the stable seen from without are two different places.\u201d
\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the Lord Digory. \u201cIts inside is bigger than its outside.\u201d
\n\u201cYes,\u201d said Queen Lucy. \u201cIn our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.\u201d It was the first time she had spoken, and from the thrill in her voice, Tirian now knew why. She was drinking everything in even more deeply than the others. She had been too happy to speak.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Salzburg<\/a>
Salzburg im Winter. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of my favorite Christmas carols is Still, Still, Still<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Like so much wonderful music,\u00a0Still, Still, Still<\/em> comes from the German-speaking Alpine region, and specifically from Salzburg. \u00a0Not a bad place, musically speaking. \u00a0(Among other things, a fellow named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born there.) \u00a0The very title seems to put me right into German mode: \u00a0I actually began, just now, to write that \u201cLike so much wonderful music, Still Still Still<\/em> kommt aus Salzburg.\u201d \u00a0And although, to my great satisfaction, it will soon be a part of the new hymnal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>, I will likely always pronounce it shtill, shtill, shtill<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The song conjures up images in my mind of small Alpine cottages quietly surrounded by deep moonlit snowdrifts, warm firelight visible through their windows. \u00a0Truth be told, I think my mental picture may be heavily influenced by that one magical night, on my mission long ago, in the Berner Oberland village of Innertkirchen, to which I referred in a recent blog entry. \u00a0(See \u201cRemembering a Perfect Alpine Christmas.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

The standard lyrics of Still, Still, Still<\/em> read like this:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
Still, still, still,<\/span><\/dd>\n
weil\u2019s Kindlein schlafen will!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Die Engel tun sch\u00f6n jubilieren,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Bei dem Kripplein musizieren.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Stille, stille, stille,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Weil\u2019s Kindlein schlafen will.<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(2) Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Mein liebes Kindlein, schlaf!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Maria tut dich [es] niedersingen<\/span><\/dd>\n
Und ihr treues Herz darbringen.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Schlaf, schlaf, schlaf,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Mein liebes Kindlein, schlaf!<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(3) Gro\u00df, gro\u00df, gro\u00df,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Die Lieb\u2019 ist \u00fcbergro\u00df.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Gott hat den Himmelsthron verlassen<\/span><\/dd>\n
Und mu\u00df reisen auf der Stra\u00dfen.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Gro\u00df, gro\u00df, gro\u00df,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Die Lieb\u2019 ist \u00fcbergro\u00df.<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(4) Auf, auf, auf,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Ihr Adamskinder auf!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Fallet Jesum all zu F\u00fc\u00dfen,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Weil er f\u00fcr uns d\u2019S\u00fcnd tut b\u00fc\u00dfen!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Auf, auf, auf,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Ihr Adamskinder auf!<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(5) Wir, wir, wir,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Wir rufen all zu dir:<\/span><\/dd>\n
\u201cTu uns des Himmels Reich aufschlie\u00dfen,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Wenn wir einmal sterben m\u00fcssen.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Wir, wir, wir,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Wir rufen all zu dir.\u201d<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(6) Ruh\u2019t, ruh\u2019t, ruh\u2019t,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Weil\u2019s Kindlein schlafen tut.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Sankt Josef l\u00f6scht das Lichtlein aus,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Die Englein sch\u00fctzen\u2019s kleine Haus.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Ruh\u2019t, ruh\u2019t, ruh\u2019t,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Weil\u2019s Kindlein schlafen tut.<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

And here\u2019s my rough, non-artistic, literal translation:<\/p>\n

\n
Quiet, quiet, quiet,<\/span><\/dd>\n
because the little child wants to sleep!<\/span><\/dd>\n
The angels are beautifully rejoicing,<\/span><\/dd>\n
making music by the little crib.<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
Quiet, quiet, quiet,<\/span><\/dd>\n
because the little child wants to sleep!<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(2) Sleep, sleep, sleep,<\/span><\/dd>\n
My dear little child, sleep!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Mary is singing a lullaby to you<\/span><\/dd>\n
and offering her faithful heart.<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
Sleep, sleep, sleep,<\/span><\/dd>\n
My dear little child, sleep!<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(3) Great, great, great,<\/span><\/dd>\n
the love is immensely great.<\/span><\/dd>\n
God has left his heavenly throne<\/span><\/dd>\n
And now must travel on our streets.<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
Great, great, great,<\/span><\/dd>\n
the love is immensely great.<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(4) Up, up, up,<\/span><\/dd>\n
You children of Adam, get up!<\/span><\/dd>\n
Fall, all of you, at Jesus\u2019 feet,<\/span><\/dd>\n
Because he atones for all our sins!<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
Up, up, up,<\/span><\/dd>\n
You children of Adam, get up!<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(5)\u00a0We, we, we,<\/span><\/dd>\n
We all call to thee:<\/span><\/dd>\n
\u201cOpen\u00a0the Kingdom of Heaven to us,<\/span><\/dd>\n
when we someday must die.<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
We, we, we,<\/span><\/dd>\n
We all call to thee.\u201d<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
(6) Be still, be still, be still,<\/span><\/dd>\n
because the little child is sleeping.<\/span><\/dd>\n
Saint Joseph puts the little light out,<\/span><\/dd>\n
The little angels guard the tiny house.<\/span><\/dd>\n
<\/dd>\n
Be still, be still, be still,<\/span><\/dd>\n
because the little child is sleeping.<\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

Posted from Newport Beach, California<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 We had lunch today at The Farmhouse at Roger\u2019s Gardens, here in Newport Beach. \u00a0It\u2019s a tradition for us now, of several years\u2019 standing, though it doesn\u2019t go back to my time with my parents. \u00a0Instead, it was our late neighbor and friend Melanie Bastian who introduced my wife to it. \u00a0And we\u2019ve loved […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":113981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[7362,23465,39446,39449],"class_list":["post-113975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-its-a-wonderful-life","tag-newport-beach","tag-rogers-garden","tag-the-farmhouse"],"yoast_head":"\n"Still, still, still"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"  We had lunch today at The Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, here in Newport Beach. \u00a0It's a tradition 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