God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
the choir of st. paul's cathedral Lyrics

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God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessed Babe to find:

But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this infant lay,
They found him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay,
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace,

This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface:

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" convey a message of hope and joy, particularly with regards to the birth of Jesus Christ. The song reminds the faithful not to be dismayed or discouraged, but to instead take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus was born on this day to save humanity from the power of Satan. This message is particularly poignant when viewed in the context of the historical period during which the song was written, as it was a time when hope and joy were sorely needed due to political, social and economic upheavals.

The first verse of the song begins with the words "God rest you merry, gentlemen", which can be interpreted as a blessing upon the men who are being addressed. The verse goes on to state that nothing should dismay them, for Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on this day. The second verse tells the story of how a blessed angel appeared to certain shepherds and told them that the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem. The shepherds rejoiced and went to Bethlehem to find the child, who they found lying in a manger. The final verse urges listeners to sing praises to the Lord and to embrace each other with true love and brotherhood.

Line by Line Meaning

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
May God grant you happiness and peace, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,
Do not be distressed,

For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Jesus Christ, who saves us,

Was born upon this day,
Was born on this day,

To save us all from Satan's power
To rescue us from the devil's grip,

When we were gone astray:
When we were lost:

O tidings of comfort and joy,
Oh, news of comfort and joy,

comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy.
Oh, news of comfort and joy.

From God our heavenly Father
From God, our father in heaven,

A blessed angel came,
A blessed angel appeared,