It is Christmas time, a favorite time of year for many of us, regardless of religious belief. To me and many other Christians, this season is fraught with meaning. When I hear classic Christmas hymns like O Holy Night or Joy to the World, it does more than just create nostalgic warm feelings of gifts and hot chocolate. These songs are amazing declarations of truth. Do you hear what I hear? Would it help to translate these beautiful songs to contemporary language? I hope you find this project fun and refreshing. Share it if you like it.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angels’ voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Tonight is utterly unique; something is about to happen that has never happened before and will never happen again.
Tonight the long awaited hero will be born.
The world has languished in pain and misery for the longest time.
That hero comes to change all that. He comes to save you and me.
Exhausted hearts beat with excitement, asking, “Could this be?”
Because from now on everything will be different. Tomorrow will be glorious.
The long awaited hero has infinite power! Even the angels tremble.
He is born! What an unforgettable night! Unimaginable.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
He will mend our broken hearts. He will renew our relationships with one another.
No longer will we destroy each other out of fear.
Instead he will teach us the meaning of love, by first demonstrating his love for us.
Sing, let the music ring out! Praise his holy name with total abandon!
Christ is our hero, the ruler, the savior!
We will live with him for eternity.
We will sing songs of His strength and radiant beauty forever and ever.
More Christmas classic translations:
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