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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

    Music List • (5th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 5th Sunday of Lent (22 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. Traditionally, this Sunday was called ‘Passion’ Sunday. Starting in 1956, certain church leaders attempted rename both ‘Passion’ Sunday and ‘Palm’ Sunday—but it didn’t work. For example, Monsignor Frederick McManus tried to get people to call PALM SUNDAY “Second Passion Sunday”—but the faithful rejected that. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music List • (Holy Thursday, 2026)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for Holy Thursday, which is 2 April 2026. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a more piercingly beautiful INTROIT, and I have come to absolutely love the SATB version of ‘Ubi cáritas’ we are singing (joined by our burgeoning children’s choir). I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “O Escam Viatorum” • (Holy Thursday)
    When I was very young, I erroneously believed the four psalms provided by the 1957 Liber Usualis—for Communion on Holy Thursday—were the “correct” music to sing on that first day of the TRIDUUM SACRUM. Those four psalms are: Psalm 22 (Dóminus regit me et nihil mihi déerit); Psalm 71 (Deus judícium tuum regi da); Psalm 103 (Bénedic ánima méa); and Psalm 150 (Laudáte Dóminum in sanctis ejus). It turns out I was way out in left field! While nothing forbids singing those psalms, many other options are equally valid. Our volunteer parish choir will sing this COMMUNION PIECE (joined by our burgeoning children’s choir) on Holy Thursday during Holy Communion. Needless to say, this will happen after the proper antiphon from the GRADUALE ROMANUM has been sung.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)
    Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“If the right is given to African tribes to include their pagan traditions in the liturgy, I think the same should also be given to the rite of a thousand year-old Christian Church, based on a much older Roman tradition.”

— Professor László Dobszay

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  • Music List • (Holy Thursday, 2026)
  • “O Escam Viatorum” • (Holy Thursday)
  • PDF Download • Simplified Keyboard Accompaniments for Lenten Hymns
  • Ending Good Friday on “Mi” … ?

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