Countless musicians have performed and re-injected life into traditional songs with examples ranging from Thin Lizzy's (and later Metallica's) Whiskey in a Jar (traditional Irish song) to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's latest collaboration Among The Gold.
"Traditional" should not be used for the artist name, if the real name of the performing artist or group is known. Rather it should be used for the writer/composer, if they are unknown. The MusicBrainz style guidelines can give you an orientation for better tagging: https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Unknown_and_untitled/Special_purpose_artist
In the Bleak Midwinter
Traditional Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago.
Our God, heaven can not hold Him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But His mother only,
In her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him -
Give my heart.
The song "In the Bleak Midwinter" portrays the stark winter landscape and contrasts it with the birth of Jesus Christ. The first stanza describes the harsh winter weather, with "frosty winds," "hard" earth, and "snow on snow." These conditions create a desolate and lifeless environment, which contrasts with the hope and joy of the Christmas story. The second stanza speaks to the all-encompassing power of God, who cannot be contained by heaven or earth. This all-powerful God is born into the humblest of circumstances, a stable, in the midst of the bleak winter. The final stanza is a reflection on what one can offer to this powerful and humble God. The singer recognizes their own humble state and acknowledges that all they have to give is their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter,
During an unforgiving winter season,
Frosty wind made moan,
A chilling wind bellowed mournful sounds
Earth stood hard as iron,
The ground was rock-solid like metal
Water like a stone;
Bodies of water were frozen solid
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Layers of snow continued to accumulate,
In the bleak midwinter,
During an unforgiving winter season,
Long ago.
In past times.
Our God, heaven can not hold Him,
God is too great to be confined to Heaven
Nor earth sustain;
The world cannot support His greatness
Heaven and earth shall flee away
At His second coming, both worlds will disappear from existence
When He comes to reign;
When He returns to rule
In the bleak midwinter
In the freezing winter season,
A stable place sufficed
A humble stable was all that was needed
The Lord God Almighty,
The all-powerful God
Jesus Christ.
In the form of His son, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels
Heavenly hosts of angels
May have gathered there,
It is possible they were nearby
Cherubim and seraphim
Other classes of angels
Thronged the air;
Filling the air with their presence and singing
But His mother only,
However, only His mother was present, and
In her maiden bliss,
Who was in a state of serene happiness
Worshiped the Beloved
Mary worshipped her beloved child, the Son of God
With a kiss.
By giving him a motherly kiss.
What can I give Him,
What could I offer God,
Poor as I am?
Considering my current poverty?
If I were a shepherd,
If I were a lowly shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
I would offer a precious lamb
If I were a wise man,
If I were a wise man like the Magi,
I would do my part;
I would offer my share of valuable gifts
Yet what I can I give Him -
However, all I have to offer is
Give my heart.
My heart in devotion and love.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dutamulia
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
@bruceugtr
I am a 72 year old retired musician with a lifetime of amazing musical experiences, but I have NEVER heard such a moving performance in my life!! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS PERFORMANCE!! ** BRAVO**!!
@TheNortheast207
It’s tearful in its beauty.
@opetimistic
Kudos
@theresetuckness2300
I'm 65 and still play.my instrument for many years, I love both voices and instruments
@thekanadiangirl
Then we shouldn't go to church, because it was built by humans. We shouldn't wear clothes, have cars, or anything else made by man. That is a very silly reason. God gave us brains to make things since the beginning of time, including instruments!
@markd2209
Took this 48 year old American to hear this for the first time watching the show Ghosts. How was I robbed of such soulful beauty all my life. And especially for all the Christmas Eve’s and mornings. This version brought tears to my eyes, as it sang directly to my humanity, my heart, my soul. Thank you.
@shirleyfortablet7958
I love this beautiful song I am always singing it when doing my housework it's the best Christmas carol ever wrote merry Christmas to everyone listening to it in 2023 god bless you all Shirley h Darlington England 💝⭐💘🌹✌️
@fairlyvague82
I agree 100% along with It Came Upon The Midnight Clear ❤️🔥
@janesmith9024
Wonderfully sung as to tone, pronunciation, consonants, togetherness. British singing at its best of one of our most wonderful British composers.
@charlienewbold9809
Well I never knew Holst was British! Thanks!