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Stille Nacht (Silent Night) > lyrics for the teacher
verses by Joseph Mohr in german
1st stanza


FULL LYRICS.
VERSES 1-5: German original, pronunciation in international phonetic alphabet (IPA), word to word translation in english.
The I.P.A. has been checked in online sources. But I am not a germanophone, so please do not rely entirely on my notes.
OVERVIEWS of 1st stanza in german with eng. explanation and english to sing.
ENGLISH, GERMAN GLOSSARY.
SOURCES.


LYRICS of THE WHOLE POEM
german poem and english translation: http://www.stillenacht.at/en/text_and_music.asp
lyrics to sing and links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night_(song)

VERSES 1-5
GERMAN verse 1
Stille
Nacht!
Heilige
Nacht!
i.p.a.
`ʃtile
naxt
`hailige
naxt
ENGLISH mot-à-mot
Silent
night!
Holy
night!

GERMAN verse 2
Alles
schläft;
einsam
wacht
i.p.a.
`ales
`ʃlæft
`ainzam
vaxt
ENGLISH word to word
Everyone
everything
sleeps;
alone and awake

GERMAN verse 3
Nur
das
traute
[hoch]
heilige
Paar.
i.p.a.
nur
das
`traute
hoh
`hailige
`paar.
ENGLISH word to word
Only
the
intimate
 
holy
pair.

GERMAN verse 4
Holder
Knab
Knabe
im
lockigten
Haar,
i.p.a.
`holder
knab
`knabe
im
`lokikten
`haar,
ENGLISH word to word
Lovely
boy
in
curly
hair,

GERMAN verse 5
Schlafe
in
himmlischer
Ruh!
Ruhe
i.p.a.
`ʃlafe
in
`himliʃer
`ruu
ENGLISH word to word
Sleep
in
heavenly
peace!

again the last verse:
GERMAN verse 5
Schlafe
in
himmlischer
Ruh!
 
 


OVERVIEWS of 1st stanza
DEUTSCH original
GERMAN
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute [[hoch]] heilige Paar.
Holder Knab im lockigten Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
german pronunciation approximate
(international phonetic alphabet)
tile naxt  `hailige naxt
`ales læft `ainzam vaxt
nur das `traute (hoh) `hailige `paar
`holder knab(e) im `lokikten `haar
`ʃlafe in `himliʃer `ruu
`ʃlafe in `himliʃer `ruu
ENGLISH word to word
Silent night! Holy night!
All are sleeping, alone and awake
Only the intimate holy pair,
Lovely boy with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!
 
ENGLISH to sing

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!
english pronunciation approximate
(international phonetic alphabet)
`sailent `nait  `holi  `nait
ol iz kalm  ol iz `brait
`raund jon veʥin maδer and `ʧaild
`holi `infant sou `tender and `maild
sliip in `hevenli `piis
sliip in `hevenli `piis
 
 


ENGLISH GLOSSARY for special words of 1st stanza
at VERSE 3: yon (adv. or adj. or pron.) = over there, at that place < yonder.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861733383
 
GERMAN GLOSSARY for the 1st stanza
still (adj.m.) f:stille = silent, calm, secret.
heilig (adj.m.) = holy, sacred.
Nacht, die (n.f.sing.) [naχt] = the night. pl. Nächte [ˈnɛçtə]
aller (indefinitpronomen). aller, alle, alles (m-f-neu). pl: alle = all.
schlafen (v.) [ʃla:fn] = to sleep. (schläft = he/she/it sleeps)
einsam (adj) = alone, lonely.
wacht = wakes, wakens < aufwachen (v.) = to wake up (he/she/it: wacht auf)
nur = only, merely.
traute
traut = cozy (little)
vertrauten (v.) = to trust (he/she/it: vertraut. partizip: vertraut).
hoch (adj.) [ho:x] = high. extremely.
Paar (n.) = the pair, the couple. Also: paar (pronomen).
hold (adj.) = lovely, fair.
Knabe, der (n.m.) [ˈkna:bə] = boy.
lockigten (lockigen): lockig (adj.) = culry
Haar, das (n.neu.) = the hair.
himmlischer (adj.) = more heavenly. < himmlisch = celestial, heavenly. < Himmel, der (n.m.) = the sky.
Ruhe, die (n.f.) [ʀu:ə] = quiet, calm, rest.


SOURCES
SOURCES FOR LYRICS of 1st stanza
german and english translation http://www.stillenacht.at/en/text_and_music.asp
lyrics to sing and links from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night_(song)
SOURCES FOR GLOSSARY of 1st stanza
http://dict.leo.org
http://www.dict.cc
http://wiktionary.com

katerina sarri, athens, 23 DEC 2007. corrections: 2009.