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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.

BONUS:

Procul in Praesaepi (“Away in a Manger”)

1. Procul in praesaepi et sine lecto,/ en, parvulus Iesus dormit in faeno
stellaeque micantes despectant eum/ tranquillo in somno, nostrum Domino

2. Dum mugiunt boves, expergiscitur;/ nec tamen ex illo auditur murmur.
Amo te, mi Iesu! De caelo specta/ et usque ad lucem, precor, mi adsta.

3. Es, Domine, mecum, te rogo; mane/ me iuxta aeterno, et dilige me.
Pueruli omnes in cura tua/ fac uti fruantur aeterna vita.

BONUS:

Angels we have heard on high

Lapsi caelo super gentes,
properate, angeli,
nuntiate nunc gaudentes
natum nostri Domini.
Adorate, adorate, adorate Dominum.

Lapsi caelo super nos,
properate, angeli,
Nobis nuntiate vos
natum nostri Domini!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Cur pastores iubilant?
Unde haec tot carmina
Dum per noctem vigilant?
Unde illa lumina?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

“Ite visum, populi,
Novum regem hominum!
Adorate, populi,
adorate Dominum!”
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin Christmas Carols Last Updated: September 29, 2025

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President’s Corner

    Which Mass?
    In 1905, when the Vatican Commission on Gregorian Chant began publishing the EDITIO VATICANA—still the Church’s official edition— they assigned different Masses to different types of feasts. However, they were careful to add a note (which began with the words “Qualislibet cantus hujus Ordinarii…”) making clear “chants from one Mass may be used together with those from others.” Sadly, I sometimes worked for TLM priests who weren’t fluent in Latin. As a result, they stubbornly insisted Mass settings were ‘assigned’ to different feasts and seasons (which is false). To understand the great variety, one should examine the 1904 KYRIALE of Dr. Peter Wagner. One should also look through Dom Mocquereau’s Liber Usualis (1904), in which the Masses are all mixed up. For instance, Gloria II in his book ended up being moved to the ‘ad libitum’ appendix in the EDITIO VATICANA.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Like! Like! Like!
    You won’t believe who recently gave us a “like” on the Corpus Christi Watershed FACEBOOK PAGE. Click here (PDF) to see who it was. We were not only sincerely honored, we were utterly flabbergasted. This was truly a resounding endorsement and unmistakable stamp of approval.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Atténde Dómine”
    Although it isn’t nearly as ancient as other hymns in the plainsong repertoire, Atténde Dómine, et miserére, quía peccávimus tíbi (“Look down, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against Thee”) has become one of the most popular hymns for LENT—perhaps because it was included in the famous Liber Usualis of Solesmes. This musical score (PDF file) has an incredibly accurate version in English, as well as a nice version in Spanish, and also the original Latin. Although I don’t claim to have a great singing voice, this morning I recorded this rehearsal video.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Extreme Unction
    Those who search Google for “CCCC MS 079” will discover high resolution images of a medieval Pontificale (“Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 079”). One of the pages contains this absolutely gorgeous depiction of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    PDF Chart • “Plainsong Rhythm”
    I will go to my grave without understanding the lack of curiosity so many people have about the rhythmic modifications made by Dom André Mocquereau. For example, how can someone examine this single sheet comparison chart and at a minimum not be curious about the differences? Dom Mocquereau basically creates a LONG-SHORT LONG-SHORT rhythmic pattern—in spite of enormous and overwhelming manuscript evidence to the contrary. That’s why some scholars referred to his method as “Neo-Mensuralist” or “Neo-Mensuralism.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Simplified)
    I admire the harmonization of “Adeste Fideles” by David Willcocks (d. 2015), who served as director of the Royal College of Music (London, England). In 2025, I was challenged to create a simplified arrangement for organists incapable of playing the authentic version at tempo. The result was this simplified keyboard arrangement (PDF download) based on the David Willcocks version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Feel free to play through it and let me know what you think.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The Night Office—Nocturns or Matins—except for Holy Week, Easter Octave, and Christmas, has never appeared in the Vatican edition. The larger part of the mediaeval repertory for the Office thus remains still unpublished in the Vatican edition, and is likely to remain so, for the obvious reason that almost no cathedral chapters or monastic choirs sing the Night Office regularly today.”

— John Merle Boe (1968)

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