O Holy Night
Adolphe Adam Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the soul felt His worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder beams a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine





Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born

Overall Meaning

The first verse of "O Holy Night" describes the night of Jesus Christ's birth. The stars shine brighter than usual, as if they too are celebrating the event. The world had been in a state of sin and despair before Christ's arrival. The lyrics "Long lay the world in sin and error pining / Till He appeared and the soul felt His worth" suggest that it was only through the arrival of Jesus that humanity recognized their purpose and worth. The line "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices" shows that, with the arrival of Jesus, people found hope and joy after a long period of darkness. Adolphe Adam describes the morning of Jesus's birth as "new and glorious," which highlights the significance of the coming of the son of God.


The second verse encourages listeners to get on their knees and listen to the angelic voices. The lines "Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices / Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born" emphasize the humility needed to witness the wonder of Jesus's birth. "Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born" is repeated twice to show the deep reverence with which the moment should be viewed. The second incarnation of "Fall on your knees" is a directorial command from the songwriter, compelling the listener to pay attention to the marvel taking place.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It's a sacred night where the stars are shining brightly


It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
This is the night when our beloved savior was born


Long lay the world in sin and error pining
The world was waiting for a long time suffering from sin and errors


Till He appeared and the soul felt His worth
Until the savior appeared, the soul didn't realize its true worth


A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
The tired world became joyful by a thrill of hope from the arrival of the savior


For yonder beams a new and glorious morn
A new and magnificent morning is coming near


Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
Kneel and listen to the glorious angel voices


Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born
This is the holy night when Christ was born


Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine
Rejoice on this holy night because Christ was born


Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
Listen to the angel voices and kneel down


Oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born
Celebrate this heavenly night when Christ was born




Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@bblillian

Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared 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! Oh, hear the angel voices
Oh, night divine
Oh, night when Christ was born
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! Oh, praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices
Oh, night divine
Oh, night when Christ was born
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born
Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born



@fantasticjava8112

rse 1]
O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appears 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 Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

[Verse 2]
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

[Verse 3]
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!



All comments from YouTube:

@johnhewlett6792

Utterly exquisite After the mayhem in the shops whilst the mad buy trolley loads of food they will never eat this lifts my heart to the heavens. I look forward to the nine lessons on
Christmas Eve. Who needs trolley loads of shopping.

@pjagough

The high points for me are at 1.04 "Fall on your knees" and at 3.05 "Christ is the Lord". Simply sublime.

@Happy_HIbiscus

🌺🌺🌺🌺

@isaacliu896

Best rendition of this carol! Slow tempo is fantastic

@richardbetton-foster3899

My favourite Christmas hymn beautifully performed

@sarahwalder6632

My favourite Christmas piece so beautiful and moving. Used to sing this each year when part of a church choir some years ago, so uplifting and joyful. Never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

@bblillian

Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared 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! Oh, hear the angel voices
Oh, night divine
Oh, night when Christ was born
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! Oh, praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices
Oh, night divine
Oh, night when Christ was born
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born
Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

@lalruatfela331

Beyond beautiful...

@enricopascucci4802

So beautiful and uplifting.

@fantasticjava8112

rse 1]
O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appears 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 Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

[Verse 2]
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

[Verse 3]
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!

More Comments

More Versions