Wie schön geschmückt der festliche Raum! Die Lichter funkeln am Weihnachtsbaum! O fröhliche Zeit, o seliger Traum! Die Mutter sitzt in der Kinder Kreis, Nun schweiget alles auf ihr Geheiß, Sie singet des Christkinds Lob und Preis, Und rings vom Weihnachtsbaum erhellt, Ist schön in Bildern aufgestellt Des [heil'gen]1 Buches Palmenwelt. Die Kinder schauen der Bilder Pracht, Und haben wohl des Singens acht, Das tönt so süß [durch die]2 Weihenacht. O glücklicher Kreis im festlichen Raum, O [goldene]3 Lichter am Weihnachtsbaum, O fröhliche Zeit, o seliger Traum!
Confirmed with Peter Cornelius, Gedichte, eingeleitet von Adolf Stern, Leipzig: C.F. Kahnt Nachfolger, 1890, page 139.
1 Cornelius: "heiligen"2 Cornelius: "in der"
3 Cornelius: "gold'ne"
Text Authorship:
- by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christbaum", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Zu eignen Weisen, in Weihnachtslieder [author's text checked 2 times 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 Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christbaum", op. 8 no. 1 (1856), published 1871 [ voice and piano ], from Weihnachtslieder, no. 1, Leipzig, Fritzsch; note: in 1979 Geoffrey Emerson wrote a clarinet part to go along with this song [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Emma Lou Diemer.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Christmas Tree", copyright ©
- ENG English [singable] (Elsa Ebertz) , "Christmas-Tree"
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "L'albero di Natale", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 90
How gay the festal hall, how bright, The Christmas tree is wrapped in light, O joyful time, o dream of delight! The mother sits with the children around At her command a silence profound, Her voice to Christ's praise rings with joyful sound. And lightened by the Christmas tree The Holy Book is fair to see With pictures full of harmony. The children gaze on the lovely things And hear the songs their mother sings, It floats through the air on holy wings! O happy people gay and bright, O Christmas tree, o radiant light, O joyful time! o dream of delight!
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Elsa Ebertz , "Christmas-Tree"
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christbaum", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Zu eignen Weisen, in Weihnachtslieder
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-12
Line count: 15
Word count: 102