Comments on: Unsung II http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/ Truth Will Prevail Thu, 24 May 2012 23:57:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Eric Boysen http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245556 Eric Boysen Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:41:17 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245556 Translating is always problematic, particularly poetry where you just have to choose between translating the idea and creating a poem that works in the target language. The German makes a reference to Joseph that I like, speaking of a pair specially selected and set apart by God to serve the needs of this special infant and await his coming, all alone. I love the image of the burbling laughter of an infant dispensing the love of God to mankind. It is better by far than the "radiant beams" coming from the face of the child, Light of the World though he be. "Huldvoll umschloß" I decyphered as "held-full encircled" which could only be a brotherly hug. I might have said embrace, which is a fancier word with the same meaning, I did not think of it, though it was right there in the other translation, yet somehow I like the idea of brotherly bear hug from the Savior as being more comforting. An embrace sounds more formal and less brotherly. The fifth verse is talking about salvation, talking about a time of grayness which I thought was the doom pronounced on men in this world at the fall: the grim sentence of the Father. My alternate translation was the greyness of the time of earlier generations who did not have knowledge of the saving grace of Christ. Either works for me. The former seems more traditionally Protestant, the latter more Latter-day, but the other translation obviously leans that way too. Translating is always problematic, particularly poetry where you just have to choose between translating the idea and creating a poem that works in the target language.

The German makes a reference to Joseph that I like, speaking of a pair specially selected and set apart by God to serve the needs of this special infant and await his coming, all alone.

I love the image of the burbling laughter of an infant dispensing the love of God to mankind. It is better by far than the “radiant beams” coming from the face of the child, Light of the World though he be.

“Huldvoll umschloß” I decyphered as “held-full encircled” which could only be a brotherly hug. I might have said embrace, which is a fancier word with the same meaning, I did not think of it, though it was right there in the other translation, yet somehow I like the idea of brotherly bear hug from the Savior as being more comforting. An embrace sounds more formal and less brotherly.

The fifth verse is talking about salvation, talking about a time of grayness which I thought was the doom pronounced on men in this world at the fall: the grim sentence of the Father. My alternate translation was the greyness of the time of earlier generations who did not have knowledge of the saving grace of Christ. Either works for me. The former seems more traditionally Protestant, the latter more Latter-day, but the other translation obviously leans that way too.

]]> By: Jonovitch http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245512 Jonovitch Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:53:37 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245512 Bad link in previous comment. Try this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stille_nacht.jpg Jon Bad link in previous comment. Try this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stille_nacht.jpg

Jon

]]> By: Jonovitch http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245511 Jonovitch Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:51:57 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245511 I'm an original-language purist to begin with, and this carol definitely is better in the original German. I have to agree with Carolyn (7) that the long vowels in the German song create a warmer feel, especially the "Ruh." (My German professor always compared Edgar Allan Poe's eerie "nevermoooore" with a potential German translation of a much brighter and quicker "nimmermehr" -- it just doesn't work.) Kaimi, the translation you posted is a decent rhyming version, and Eric's (6) appears to be an accurate direct translation. It's also interesting to note that the original melody was influenced quite a bit by the local folk music -- it has a bit of an Austrian yodel feel to it. If you can make it out from this image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Stille_nacht.jpg) you can catch a trill or a run here or there, especially in the last line. Far from being a solemn, pious, sacrament-service hymn, it's a bit of a funner tune that you might hear coming from a child's hand-carved music box (Spieldose). It's a bit unnerving for the average listener who's used to the modern version, but it reminds me of the quaint setting that the text and music was written in. Jon I’m an original-language purist to begin with, and this carol definitely is better in the original German. I have to agree with Carolyn (7) that the long vowels in the German song create a warmer feel, especially the “Ruh.” (My German professor always compared Edgar Allan Poe’s eerie “nevermoooore” with a potential German translation of a much brighter and quicker “nimmermehr” — it just doesn’t work.)

Kaimi, the translation you posted is a decent rhyming version, and Eric’s (6) appears to be an accurate direct translation.

It’s also interesting to note that the original melody was influenced quite a bit by the local folk music — it has a bit of an Austrian yodel feel to it. If you can make it out from this image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Stille_nacht.jpg) you can catch a trill or a run here or there, especially in the last line. Far from being a solemn, pious, sacrament-service hymn, it’s a bit of a funner tune that you might hear coming from a child’s hand-carved music box (Spieldose). It’s a bit unnerving for the average listener who’s used to the modern version, but it reminds me of the quaint setting that the text and music was written in.

Jon

]]> By: Carolyn http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245450 Carolyn Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:19:05 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245450 I've always loved this hymn in the original German. This has to do with the sustained long vowels -- the long ahhhhs and ooooo of Nacht and Ruh as opposed to the hard diphthongs and eeeees of "night" and "peace" (especially when people slide up that interval on the word peace, which is just an ugly sound). The English translation may be literally correct, but the German with its many ahhhs and oooohs is so much more, well peaceful. I’ve always loved this hymn in the original German. This has to do with the sustained long vowels — the long ahhhhs and ooooo of Nacht and Ruh as opposed to the hard diphthongs and eeeees of “night” and “peace” (especially when people slide up that interval on the word peace, which is just an ugly sound). The English translation may be literally correct, but the German with its many ahhhs and oooohs is so much more, well peaceful.

]]> By: Eric Boysen http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245449 Eric Boysen Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:47:15 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245449 1. Silent night! Holy night! All are asleep, the lonely awake are Only the trusted high Holy pair Receiving the boy with curly hair. Sleep in Heavenly peace! 2. Silent night! Holy night! God’s Son, oh how he laughs Love out of His Godly mouth There the saving hour strikes us. Jesus at His birth! 3. Silent night! Holy night! Those who brought welfare to the world From Heaven’s golden heights The grace long remains with us, Of Jesus in the form of man. 4. Silent night! Holy night! Where today all power Of the paternal ones love is poured, And as a brother hugs Jesus the peoples of the world! 5. Silent night! Holy night! He is mindful of us enough, That the Lord has released us from the fury In the Father’s (or “Of our fathers’”) original dismal time Indulgence is promised to the whole world! 6. Silent night! Holy night! The first declaration to the herdsmen Of the angels’ Alleluia, Sounds loud, near and far: “Jesus the Savior is here.” 1. Silent night! Holy night!
All are asleep, the lonely awake are
Only the trusted high Holy pair
Receiving the boy with curly hair.
Sleep in Heavenly peace!

2. Silent night! Holy night!
God’s Son, oh how he laughs
Love out of His Godly mouth
There the saving hour strikes us.
Jesus at His birth!

3. Silent night! Holy night!
Those who brought welfare to the world
From Heaven’s golden heights
The grace long remains with us,
Of Jesus in the form of man.

4. Silent night! Holy night!
Where today all power
Of the paternal ones love is poured,
And as a brother hugs
Jesus the peoples of the world!

5. Silent night! Holy night!
He is mindful of us enough,
That the Lord has released us from the fury
In the Father’s (or “Of our fathers’”) original dismal time
Indulgence is promised to the whole world!

6. Silent night! Holy night!
The first declaration to the herdsmen
Of the angels’ Alleluia,
Sounds loud, near and far:
“Jesus the Savior is here.”

]]> By: Ray http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245444 Ray Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:09:07 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245444 Thanks, Kaimi. Verse 4 is particularly interesting. Thanks, Kaimi. Verse 4 is particularly interesting.

]]> By: Brian D. http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245431 Brian D. Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:08:15 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245431 When I attended Midnight Mass with my in-laws Christmas Eve, we sang Silent Night (how appropriate it was) as the dismissal hymn. The hymnal contained the German translation; the congregation sang in English; I sang in Portugese. When I attended Midnight Mass with my in-laws Christmas Eve, we sang Silent Night (how appropriate it was) as the dismissal hymn. The hymnal contained the German translation; the congregation sang in English; I sang in Portugese.

]]> By: East Coast http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245426 East Coast Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:08:16 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245426 The German Gesangbuch uses verses one, six and two in that order. I do notice a few typos on the linked site and slight textual differences between their version and the hymnbook version. It is a beautiful song in both German and English. I like this more literal translation of the original German, but it would be an unnecessary uphill battle to convert the English-speaking world to a different text of this most beloved of Christmas carols. I've never seen the additional verses, so thank you for the post! The German Gesangbuch uses verses one, six and two in that order. I do notice a few typos on the linked site and slight textual differences between their version and the hymnbook version.

It is a beautiful song in both German and English. I like this more literal translation of the original German, but it would be an unnecessary uphill battle to convert the English-speaking world to a different text of this most beloved of Christmas carols.

I’ve never seen the additional verses, so thank you for the post!

]]> By: Ann http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245425 Ann Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:40:38 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245425 Once my late father-in-law learned to sing Silent Night in German, he never sang it in English again. All around him would be singing in English, but he insisted in singing (not very well) in German. At the time, it annoyed the heck out of me. Now that he's gone, I smile at the memory. Once my late father-in-law learned to sing Silent Night in German, he never sang it in English again. All around him would be singing in English, but he insisted in singing (not very well) in German. At the time, it annoyed the heck out of me. Now that he’s gone, I smile at the memory.

]]> By: RE http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/12/unsung-ii/#comment-245424 RE Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:24:14 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4322#comment-245424 I just sang all six of these verses in German last night at a midnight mass, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir (who did the most amazing descant during the last two verses). It was truly beautiful. I just sang all six of these verses in German last night at a midnight mass, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir (who did the most amazing descant during the last two verses). It was truly beautiful.

]]>