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by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
Translation © by Geart van der Meer
In the bleak mid‑winter
Language: English
In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan; Earth [stood]1 hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, [Snow on snow]2, In the bleak mid-winter [Long]3 ago. [Our God,]2 heaven cannot hold Him, Nor earth sustain, [Heaven and earth shall flee away]2 When He comes to reign: [In the bleak mid-winter A stable place sufficed The Lord God Almighty -- Jesus Christ.]2 Enough for Him whom Cherubim Worship night and day, A breastful of milk, And a mangerful of hay; Enough for Him whom Angels Fall down before, The ox and ass and camel Which adore. Angels and Archangels May have gathered there, Cherubim and Seraphim Thronged the air; But only His Mother In her maiden bliss Worshiped the Beloved With a kiss. What can I give [Him]4 Poor as I am? -- If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb, If I were a Wise Man I would do my part,-- [Yet]2 what I can I give Him, -- Give my heart.
M. Trotta sets stanzas 1-2, 5
S. Wilkinson sets stanza 1
B. Britten sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)First published in Scribner's Monthly, January 1872
1 Trotta: "grew"
2 omitted by Trotta.
3 Trotta: "Long, long"
4 omitted by Walton?
Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Harold Edwin Darke (1888 - 1977), "In the bleak midwinter" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), "In the bleak midwinter" [ chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Leonard J[ordan] Lehrman (b. 1949), "What can I give?", op. 145, first performed 2000 [ 2-part chorus with accompaniment ], canon [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Robert) Bruce Montgomery (1921 - 1978), "In the bleak midwinter", published 1948 [ SATB chorus, strings, and piano obbligato ], from Christ's Birthday [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "In The Bleak Mid-Winter", op. 667 (1965) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mick Swithinbank (b. 1953), "In the bleak midwinter " [ SSATBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Michael John Trotta (b. 1978), "In the bleak midwinter", published 2010, stanzas 1-2,5 [ SATB chorus, piano, and oboe ], Colla Voce [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Stephen Wilkinson (b. 1919), "Winter snow", stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], from Eternal Summer, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Variation V: In the bleak mid-winter / Corpus Christi Carol", op. 3 no. 6, rev. 1955, first performed 1934 [ men's chorus, women's chorus, boys' chorus a cappella (organ ad libitum) ], from cantata A Boy was Born, no. 6, Chester Music
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 168
Yn de fûle winter
Language: Frisian after the English
Yn de fûle winter Flime skerp de wyn; Paden hurd as izer, Wetter hurd as stien; Snie as fine jiske Wiske op ’e wyn; Yn de fûle winter - Lang al lyn. Foar God is de Himel En de wrâld te’ ûnrom, Ierde’ en himel flechtsje As Syn ryk hjir komt. Yn de fûle winter Kaam hjir op ’e wrâld, Jezus, Hear Almachtich, Op in stâl sa kâld. Mar foar wa’t oanbidde Ingels nacht en dei, Wie genôch in memmeboarst, Hea dêr’t Hij yn lei. Him foar wa’t de ingels Knibbelje om bar, Wylst okse, ezel en kamiel Dogge lykas har. Ingels en aartsingels Yn in grutte kloft, Kearubyn en searafyn, Sweevje yn ’e loft; Mar ‘t is mem Marije Allinne dêr’t sij sit, Dy’t har ynleaf jonkje Mei in tút oanbidt. En ik: wat kin ik Him jaan, Sút’rich sa’t ik kaam? -- Wie ik mar in skeper, Dan joech ik in laam; Hie ik mar wat wiisheid, Talmje soe ik net – Inkeld wat ik jaan kin, Is myn hert.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Translation from English to Frisian copyright © 2016 by Geart van der Meer, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol"
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-16
Line count: 40
Word count: 171