The First Noel
Peter Hofmann / London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics


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The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
In fields as they lay,
In fields where they,
Laying their sheep
On a cold winter's night
That was so deep.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far,
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star
Wherever it went.




Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

Overall Meaning

The First Noel is a classic Christmas carol that describes the night of the birth of Jesus Christ as told in the Bible's New Testament. The song starts with the angels' announcement of the Messiah's birth to a group of shepherds in the fields. It was a cold winter's night, but the angel's message brought warmth and joy to the shepherds. The repeated word "noel" means Christmas or the Christmas season and is used to emphasize the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ.


The second verse of the song describes the wise men who are mentioned in the Bible's account of Jesus' birth. They saw a star shining brightly in the East and travelled a long way to find the child whom they believed was the King of Israel. The light of the star guided them both day and night until they reached the place where Jesus was born. This event is also known as the Epiphany or Three Kings' Day, celebrated on January 6th.


The last verse of The First Noel sums up the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and King of Israel, which is a central belief of Christianity. The song is a beautiful reminder of the joyous occasion that is celebrated every year by millions of people around the world.


Line by Line Meaning

The first Noel the angels did say
The angels declared the first proclamation of Jesus' birth


Was to certain poor shepherds
The news was announced to a group of poor shepherds


In fields as they lay,
While these shepherds slept in the fields at night,


In fields where they,
In the same fields where they slept that night,


Laying their sheep
Watching over their flocks of sheep


On a cold winter's night
On a night during the cold winter season


That was so deep.
That was dark and quiet


Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Rejoice and sing in celebration of the news!


Born is the King of Israel!
Jesus, the King of Israel, has been born!


They looked up and saw a star
These shepherds looked up in the sky and saw a bright star


Shining in the East beyond them far,
Located in the far East, shining bright in the distance


And to the earth it gave great light,
This bright star illuminated the earth


And so it continued both day and night.
The star was visible both day and night, constant in its shining


And by the light of that same star
The wise men followed this same star, guided by its light


Three wise men came from country far,
Three learned men came from a distant land


To seek for a King was their intent
Their purpose was to find a new King


And to follow the star
To follow the star wherever it went, as it served as their guide


Wherever it went.
To their destination, regardless of the distance


Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Rejoice and sing in celebration of the news!


Born is the King of Israel!
Jesus, the King of Israel, has been born!




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Comments from YouTube:

@Susanne0815

Mein Gott, wie schön ! Vielen Dank!

@melissa7312

Meine Großeltern sind ganz begeistert, dass sie das auf Youtube hören können 🤗

@timwilson7322

My favorite version of this song.

@mdeblanc4813

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

@MarioStahl1983

Wow! By the time of this recording he obviously was still in full psession of his vocal power. Early 1980s, I guess.

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