Silent Night
St. John's College Choir Cambridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
"Silent Night" is a Christmas carol that was composed in 1818, and it has since become one of the most popular Christmas carols. The carol is widely known for its ability to convey a feeling of peace, calm, and tranquility. The first verse of the carol begins with "Silent night, holy night" and describes a peaceful and serene night. The next line "all is calm, all is bright" emphasizes the peacefulness of the night. The carol then describes "round yon Virgin, Mother and Child" who represent Mary and Jesus.
The second verse of the carol describes a group of shepherds who are astonished and quaking at the sight of a bright light from the sky. The bright light is a representation of the heavenly hosts singing "Alleluia". The verse leads up to the moment of Christ's birth by exclaiming "Christ the Savior is born".
The third verse of the carol speaks directly to Jesus, describing his birth as a radiant beam from his holy face, capable of bringing the dawn of redeeming grace. The final line of the carol, "Jesus Lord, at Thy birth", concludes the story and emphasizes the significance of his birth.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent night, holy night
The night is quiet and peaceful, and it is considered holy.
All is calm, all is bright
Everything is quiet and peaceful, and it is illuminated by the star that shines so bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is surrounded by her holy and divine infant.
Holy infant so tender and mild
The infant Jesus is holy and pure, and is innocent and gentle.
Sleep in heavenly peace
May they sleep peacefully in heaven, untouched by the worries and troubles of this world.
Shepherds quake at the sight
The shepherds tremble in awe and wonder at the sight of the heavenly choir of angels.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Great glory and beauty emanate from heaven, and are visible from a distance.
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
The angels of heaven sing praises to God, with the word Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born
The Savior - Jesus Christ - has been born.
Son of God, love's pure light
Jesus is the Son of God, and His light radiates pure love.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
Jesus' face shines with a holy and radiant light.
With the dawn of redeeming grace
As a result of Jesus' birth, redemption and salvation are made available to all people.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus is the Lord, and this is celebrated at His birth.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Traditional (pd), David Foster, Rod Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind