Three Carols for Nativity

Three of outstanding carols for the Christmas season.

1 In the Dark Night

A traditional Ukrainian koliady (carol): this is just heart-rendering in its simple beauty expressed in the Ukrainian language. The theme of a bright light in darkness is particularly poignant as Ukraine itself is presently plunged into darkness by the war. This holiday, I wish for peace: among Ukrainians, with brother Russians, and for the world.

In the dark night, above Bethlehem, a bright star shined out, covering the Holy Land. The Most Pure Virgin, the Holy Bride, in a poor cave gave birth to a Son. [Chorus] Sleep Jesus, sleep my little baby, Sleep my little star, About your fate, my little sweet, To you I will sing. She gently kissed and swaddled him, She put him to bed, and quietly started to sing, You will grow up, my Son, you’ll become a grown-up, And you will go out into the world, my baby. Sleep Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby, Sleep my little star, About your fate, my little sweet, To you I will sing. The Love of the Lord and God’s truth, You will bring faith to the world, to your people, The truth will live on, the shackles of sin will be shattered, [But my child], on Golgotha, my child will die. Sleep Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby, Sleep my little star, About your fate, my little sweet, To you I will sing. Sleep, Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby, Sleep my rose blossom, With hope on You The entire world is watching!

2 The Cherry Tree Carol

An Old English carol based on medieval legends about the Holy Family. This version is rendered in modern English and accompanied by a simple harp (Anonymous4 does another version that is a cappella in Old English, but something about this short version with the harp is just pleasant to the ears and to the soul).

When Joseph was an old man,
An old man was he,
He married Virgin Mary
The Queen of Galilee.
He married Virgin Mary
The Queen of Galilee.

Joseph and Mary walked
Through an orchard good,
There were cherries, there were berries,
As red as any blood.
There were cherries, there were berries,
As red as any blood.

Then Mary spoke to Joseph
So meek and so mild:
"Joseph, gather me some cherries,
For I am with child."
"Joseph, gather me some cherries,
For I am with child."

Then Joseph grew in anger,
In anger grew he,
"Let the father of thy baby
Gather cherries for thee!
"Let the father of thy baby
Gather cherries for thee!

Then Jesus spoke a few words,
A few words spoke he:
"Let my mother have some cherries,
Bow low down, cherry tree."
"Let my mother have some cherries,
Bow low down, cherry tree."

The cherry tree bowed low down,
Bowed low down to the ground,
And Mary gathered cherries
While Joseph stood around.
And Mary gathered cherries
While Joseph stood around.

Then Joseph took Mary
All on his right knee,
"My Lord, what have I done?
Have mercy on me."
"My Lord, what have I done?
Have mercy on me."

Then Joseph took Mary
All on his left knee,
"Pray tell me, little Baby,
When thy birthday will it be?
"Pray tell me, little Baby,
When thy birthday will it be?

"On the Sixth day of January
My birthday it will be,
And the stars in the elements
Will tremble with glee."
And the stars in the elements
Will tremble with glee."

As Joseph was a-walking
He heard an angel sing,
"Tonight shall be the birth time
Of Christ our Heav'nly King."
"Tonight shall be the birth time
Of Christ our Heav'nly King."

"He neither shall be born
In house nor in hall,
Nor in the place of Paradise,
But in an ox's stall."
Nor in the place of Paradise,
But in an ox's stall."

"He neither shall be clothed
In purple nor in cloth,
But in the bare white linen
That useth babies all."
But in the bare white linen
That useth babies all."

"He neither shall be rocked
In silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden manger
That rests upon the mold."
But in a wooden manger
That rests upon the mold."

As Joseph was a-walking
And an angel did sing,
And Mary's child at midnight
Was born to be our King.
And Mary's child at midnight
Was born to be our King.

Then be ye glad ye people
This night of all the year,
And light ye up your candles
For his star it shineth clear.
And light ye up your candles
For his star it shineth clear.

3 Georgian Alilo

If you get some Georgians together for a holiday there will be singing (also, alcohol in my experience). I can't understand a word when they do, but its pretty cool.

Since Georgian is such an interesting language, I list here the lyrics / transliteration / translation from comments:

ალილო და ჰოი ალილო და ჰოო alilo da hoi alilo da hoo Hallelujah Hallelujah ქრისტეს მახარობელნი ვართ ქრისტეშობას მოგილოცავთოო krist’es makharobelni vart krist’eshobas mogilotsavtoo We are heralds of Christ wishing you a Merry Christmas ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა ქრისტეიშვა ბეთლემშინაო otsdakhutsa dek’embersa krist’eishva betlemshinao On the twenty-fifth of December, Christ was born in Bethlehem ანგელოზნი უგალობენ დიდება მაღალთა შინაო angelozni ugaloben dideba maghalta shinao Angels sing praises to the highest of the house ეს რომ მწყემსებმა გაიგგეს მივიდნენ და თავანი სცეს მას es rom mts’q’emsebma gaigges mividnen da tavani stses mas Pastors heard the good news and they went to worship Him. ვარსკვლავები ბრწყინვალებენ ანათებენ ბეთლემსაოო varsk’vlavebi brts’q’invaleben anateben betlemsaoo The stars are shining, Illuminating Belém! შორი ქვენიდან მოსულმა მოგვებმა ძღვენი შესწირეს shori kvenidan mosulma mogvebma dzghveni shests’ires Coming from distant lands, The magicians gave Him a gift ქრისტეს მახარობელნი ვართ ქრისტეშობას მოგილოცავთო krist’es makharobelni vart krist’eshobas mogilotsavto We are heralds of Christ wishing you a Merry Christmas ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემშინაო otsdakhutsa dek’embersa krist’e ishva betlemshinao On the twenty-fifth of December, Christ was born in Bethlehem

While Christmas is properly celebrated on January 7, being an American, I'm stuck with this weekend ending the season. Fortunately I am not stuck with the commercial music/dreck that American culture imposes on the season: the 12 days of Christmas until Epiphany/Theophany are still a good time to continue to enjoy this fine singing with all that behind us.