I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day ( I heard the bells on Christmas Day / I heard the Christmas bells ) is a popular Christmas carol , which on the poem Christmas Bells (Christmas bells) by Henry W. Longfellow based (1807-1882), which he 1863 the impression of the American Civil War .

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

The American poet and professor at Harvard University expresses his longing for peaceful coexistence. Today it is sung in several versions as a Christmas carol . One well-known setting is by J. Baptiste Calkin (1827–1905), another by Johnny Marks (1909–1985). A popular pop version comes from the band Casting Crowns (Peace on Earth) .

content

After the complete despair in self-talk with bowed head that there is no peace on earth because the hatred is too strong and scoffs at the song of ' peace on earth, people are pleased ' ( Lk 2.14  EU ):

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

it culminates in the final verse of the answer of the loud and deep sound of Christmas bells :

Then the bells rang louder and deeper:
“God is not dead, and He never slept.
Truth will prevail, falsities will fall.
With peace on earth, a pleasure for people. "

Text (Christmas Bells)

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! "

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men. "

literature

• The Bells of Geisenheim . In: Der Spiegel . No. 40 , 1954 ( online ).

Web links

Wikisource: Christmas Bells (from Flower-de-Luce )  - Sources and full texts (English)

• hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com
• The Christmas Carol Soldier , by Rev. Robert Girard Carroon ( Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the US )
• cedarscamps.org (with a German translation)
• short documentary
• Christmas Bells by Longfellow, a Poem

Videos

• Sound samples: 1 ( Casting Crowns : Peace on Earth / Celebration Choir and Essex Alliance Church Signing Team under the direction of Candice Allembert, Essex Alliance Church, Essex Junction , VT, USA); 2 (Casting Crowns); 3 ( Johnny Marks ); 4 ( Jason Castro ); 5 (House of Bread Church); 6 ( Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash ); 7 (Ed Herrman with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir )

References and footnotes

1. ↑ Translation from: Christmas - and memories for our children ( Richard L. Evans ). In: Der Stern (official organ of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for German-speaking stakes and missions), December 1971 • 97th volume • Number 12, p. 379, without specifying the translator, Textarchiv - Internet Archive .