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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Sixteen (16) Christmas Carols … In Latin!

Corpus Christi Watershed · December 20, 2014

On a Franciscan website, we found this clever PDF wherein Fr. Valentine Young has set common Christmas songs in Latin. A friend of CCW volunteered to type them out. Please let us know if you find any typos!

In addition to the below, from Father Valentine, you can also download Latin Christmas Carols.

I. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

1. Laetus Sanctus Nicholaus
Aurem tende huc.
Ne dicas ulli vivo
Quid dicturus sim.
Vigilia proxima
Nunc care senex,
Me dicas quid mi feras,
Mi dic si potes.

2. Media nocte facta
Somno sopitus,
Per compluvium atrum
Rebus paratis,
Tibialia cuncta
Iam in ordine,
Meum erit minimum
Sine dubio.

II. Up On The House Top

1. In summa domi cervi stant,
Ecce Bonus Nicholaus
et per compluvium cum nugis
Pro pueris et puellis.

Chorus:
Sit, sit, sit, Quis non it?
Sit, sit, sit, quis non it?
In summa domi crepitus
Per compluvium venit Sanctus.

2. Primum tibiale parvulae,
Care Sancte, id comple.
Pupam ridentem et dolentem
Da oculos et habentem.

3. Et tunc tibiale parvulo,
Quam multum iam videto.
Malleus necnon clavus tenax
Sphaera et flagellum minax.

III. O Christmas Tree

1. Ecce arbor huius noctis
Folia numquam mutant
Viridia in aestate,
Et etiam in hieme.

2. Necnon aestatis tempore
Rami lati et virides,
Sed etiam floret nive
Cum terra alba hieme.

3. Narrat nobis de custode
Et angelorum carmine,
De Infante in praesepe
Est legendum mirabile.

IV. What Child Is This?

Qualis puer qui in Mariae
gremio nunc dormit?
Quem angeli nunc salutant
dum pastores vigilant.

Ille est Christus Rex quem
Pastores et Angeli currunt ad
laudandum Filium de Maria.

V. O Come, All Ye Faithful

1. Adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte Regem Angelorum,

Chorus:
Venite, adoremus; venite, adoremus;
Venite, adoremus Dominum.

2. En grege relicto, humiles ad cunas
Vocati pastores approperant.
Nosque ovanti gradu festinemus.

3. Aeterni Parentis Splendorem aeternum
Velatum sub carne videbimus:
Deum Infantem, pannis involutum.

VI. White Christmas

Diem Christi album somnio
Persimilem praeteritis.
Ub(i) arbores nitent
Natique ardent
Nolis trahae niveis.
Diem Christi album somnio
Ut in omni charta scribo
“Dies sint festivi tibi,
Et festa nivalia Christi.’’

VII. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Adsunt Ruens et Saltans
Exsultans et Rixans,
Comans, Cupidus,
Tonans, Fulguransque,
Sed quid de illo praeclaro
omnium cervo?
Rudolphus, cervus nasum
rubicundum habebat
Quem si videre possis,
elucere referas.
Ludificare cervi,
deridentes solebant,
Neque sinebant eum
comminus colludere.
Ecce dixit Nicholaus
pridie Festum:
“O Rudolphe, nocte hac,
visne traham ducere?’’
Quam tunc iucundus fuit,
cervis iubilantibus.
“Rudolphe,” tunc dicebant:
“Notus eris posteris.”

VIII. Silent Night

1. Silens nox, sancta nox,
Placida, lucida.
Virginem et Puerum
Dulcem atque tenerum
//Somno opprime.//

2. Silens nox, sancta nox,
Angeli nitidi
”Alleluia” concinunt.
Nunc pastores metuunt.
//Christus natus est.//

3. Silens nox, sancta nox,
Candida, splendida.
Fili Dei facies
Nobis praebet novas spes;
//Christus natus est.//

IX. O Little Town of Bethlehem

1. O parve vice Bethlehem,
Quam tacitus iaces!
Super somnum stellae tuum
Volvuntur silentes.
Sed noctis in tenebris
Aeterna Lux splendet.
Iam temporum spes omnium
Curae in te manent.

2. Nam Christus ex Maria
Natus, et in caelo
Sunt congressi cum Angeli
Amore cum pio.
O stellae matutinae
Cantate caelitus!
Deo sint laudes insignes
Et pax hominibus.

X. Jingle Bells

1. Nives, glacies, nox pueritia!
Risus decet, nunc decent carmina!
Laetos iuvat nos ire per agros.
traha fert velociter, et cachinemus nos.

Chorus:
//Tinniant, tinniant, tintinnabula.
Ludus est equo trahi in curru aperto.//

2. Me nuper miserum temptavit lunae lux.
Assidebat mihi puella facta dux!
Vecti subito in nivis cumulos.
Caballus est perterritus et tunc eversi nos.

3. Solum scintillat, nive candidum.
Repetatur nunc concentus carminum:
Canities absit morosa omnibus!
Puellulas cum pueris delectat hic cursus.

XI. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

1. En canentes Angeli,
“Gloria Regi, Infanti;
Pax in terra. et Deus
concors cum mortalibus.”
Laeti, omnes populi
Cum caelestibus iuncti,
Praedicate “Nunc Christus
Est in Bethlehem natus.”

Chorus:
En canentes Angeli,
“Gloria Regi Infanti.’’

2. Adoratus caelitus,
Christus, semper Dominus.
Serius advenit spe
Genitus a Virgine.
Carne tamquam obsitus,
Homo ex Deo factus,
Volens ut par sit honos,
Commoratur inter nos.

XII. Good King Wenceslaus

1. Sanctus Wenceslaus rex
Stephani ad festum.
Agrum vidit nivibus
Gelidis congestum.
Vidit pauperem sibi
Ligna colligentem.
Qui sub luna splendida
Sensit se frigentem.

2. “Affer carnem, vinum fer,
Lignum afferamus,
Ut nos illi pauperi
Cenam praebeamus.”
Rex et puer prodibant
Animo aequali,
Vento flante acriter
Tempore brumali.

XIII. Deck The Halls

Aquafolia ornatis,
Fa la la, etc.
Tempus hoc hilaritatis
Fa la, la, etc.
Vestes claras induamus
Fa, la, la, etc.
Cantilenas nunc promamus.
Fa, la, la, etc.

XIV. Joy To The World

Laetissimus accipiat
Iam mundus Dominum.
Dum omnia in corda nos
//accipimus Illum.//

XV. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

Salvete, laeti comites,
Nihil vos terreat.
Nam Jesus Christus natus est
Ut omnes redimat,
Et in Satanae semitas
Errantes reducat.
O nuntium gratissimum,
gratissimum.
O nuntium gratissimum.

XVI. We Three Kings Of Orient

Orientis reges tres,
Procul dona portantes
Per campos et montes imus
Post stellam sequentes.

Chorus:
O, Stella potens et mira,
Stella regalis pulchra,
Semper movens ad occasum
Due nos ad claram lucem.

Melchior:
Infans nate Bethlehem,
Portamus hanc coronam,
Rex aeterne, sempiterne,
Domine terrarum!

Casper:
Dis Sabaeum Tibi fero,
Tus dignum magno Deo;
Te laudantes et orantes
Colimus in Caelo.

Balthasar:
Myrrham fero amaram,
Circum te fumat caligo,
te languentem et gementem
condit(um) in tumulo.

Reges:
Clarus surgit, O specta!
Deus, Rex, et Victima.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Canunt caelum terra.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin Christmas Carols Last Updated: December 23, 2022

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • Communion (26th Sn. Ord.)
    This coming Sunday, 28 September 2025, is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The COMMUNION ANTIPHON with Fauxbourdon verses in honor of William Couture sparkles with beauty. It comes Psalm 118 (the lengthiest psalm) which is an “alphabetical acrostic.” That means each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    PDF Download • “Side-By-Side Comparison”
    Pope Urban VIII modified almost all the Church’s ancient hymns in 1632AD. The team responsible for creating the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal spent years comparing the different versions of each hymn: “Urbanite” vs. “pre-Urbanite.” When it comes to the special hymn for the upcoming feast (9 November)—URBS BEATA JERUSALEM—Dr. Adrian Fortescue pointed out that “the people who changed it in the 17th century did not even keep its metre; so the later version cannot be sung to the old, exceedingly beautiful tune.” Monsignor Hugh Thomas Henry (d. 1946), a professor of Gregorian Chant at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (Overbrook, Philadelphia), wrote: “Of this hymn in particular some think that, whereas it did not suffer as much as some others, yet it lost much of its beauty in the revision; others declare that it was admirably transformed without unduly modifying the sense.” You can use this side-by-side comparison chart to compare both versions. When it comes to its meaning, there’s little significant difference between the two versions: e.g. “name of Christ” vs. “love of Christ.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Some of our younger parish clergy read their sermons. This should not be done except for some very special reason. The priest who is not capable of preparing and delivering a brief, clear instruction on Catholic teaching to his people is not fit to be in parish work. The people as a rule do not want to listen to a sermon reader.”

— Archbishop of Baltimore (9 July 1929)

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