by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Christbaum
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ITA
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!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   P. Cornelius 

View original text (without footnotes)

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:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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: 87

Christmas Tree
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
How prettily is the festive room adorned!
The candles shimmer on the Christmas tree!
O glad time! o blissful dream!
Mother sits among her children;
now everyone is silent at her command:
she sings the Christ-child's praise and glory.
And all around, illuminated by the Christmas tree,
beautifully shown in pictures,
is the palmy world of the Holy Book.
The children gaze at the pictures' magnificence
and pay close attention to the singing,
that sounds so sweet on the eve of Christmas!
O happy circle in a festive room!
O golden candles on the Christmas tree!
O glad time! o blissful dream!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 102