Carol Of The Birds
The Von Trapp Children Lyrics
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When God′s great star appears
And floods the earth with brightness
Birds' voices rise in song
And warbling all night long
Express their glad heart′s lightness
And warbling long
Express their glad hearts' lightness
The nightingale is first
To bring his song of cheer
And tell us of his gladness:
Jesus our Lord is come
To free us from our sin
And banish every sadness.
Jesus our Lord is come
To free us from our sin
And banish every sadness.
The answering Sparrow cries:
God′s come to earth this day
Amid the angels flying.
Trilling in sweetest tones,
The Finch his Lord now owns
To Him be all thanksgiving.
Trilling in sweetest tones,
The Finch his Lord now owns
To Him be all thanksgiving.
The Partridge adds his note:
To Bethlehem I′ll fly
Where in the stall He's lying.
There, in the manger blessed,
I′ll build myself a nest
And sing of love undying.
There, in the manger blessed,
I'll build myself a nest,
And sing of love undying.
The Von Trapp Children's song Carol of the Birds is a beautiful and serene song that paints a picture of a peaceful holy night. The song starts off by describing the appearance of God's great star that engulfs the earth in brightness. As God's star appears, birds' voices rise in song to express their gladness and joy. The nightingale is described as the first bird to bring his song of cheer and tell of Jesus our Lord, who has come to free us from sin and banish sadness. Following the nightingale, the Sparrow, Trilling Finch, and Partridge add their notes to the melody, further telling of the arrival of Jesus and his birthplace of Bethlehem. The Partridge even mentions building a nest in the manger and singing of "love undying." All these birds' songs bring a sense of calmness and peace to the Holy Night.
The song's message is that even in the middle of the night, there is a sense of expectation and joy in the midst of God's creations. The birds' voices and songs show that they are rejoicing in the birth of Jesus and spreading the message of His arrival. The birds in the song demonstrate the important roles that nature and animals play in the story of Jesus' birth.
Line by Line Meaning
Upon this holy night
On this sacred night
When God's great star appears
When the brilliant star of God illuminates the sky
And floods the earth with brightness
And floods the earth with divine light
Birds' voices rise in song
The birds' voices arise in a melodious tune
And warbling all night long
And they sing all night long
Express their glad hearts' lightness
To express the joy and happiness they feel
The nightingale is first
The first bird is the nightingale
To bring his song of cheer
To bring his joyful melody
And tell us of his gladness
And to share his delight with us
Jesus our Lord is come
Our Lord Jesus has arrived
To free us from our sin
To release us from our sins
And banish every sadness
And eliminate all sadness
The answering Sparrow cries
Another bird, the sparrow, responds with its own song
God's come to earth this day
God has come to Earth today
Amid the angels flying
While the angels fly around
Trilling in sweetest tones
Singing in the sweetest of voices
The Finch his Lord now owns
The finch declares his loyalty to the Lord
To Him be all thanksgiving
And gives Him all the gratitude
The Partridge adds his note
The partridge sings its own part
To Bethlehem I'll fly
I'll fly to Bethlehem
Where in the stall He's lying
Where He is lying in a manger
There, in the manger blessed
There, in the holy manger
I'll build myself a nest
I will create a home for myself there
And sing of love undying
And sing about eternal love
Writer(s): M. Leontovich, Peter Wilhousky, Steve Kupferschmid
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.