Silent night, holy night,
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,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Saviour is born,
Christ the Saviour 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.
About Silent Night
Silent Night began as Stille Nacht, a German poem by Joseph Mohr, a young assistant priest. His friend Franz Xaver Gruber, a schoolteacher and organist, set it to music, and the two first sang it at St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, on Christmas Eve 1818, with Mohr playing the guitar.
The English words most people sing today are a translation by John Freeman Young, an American bishop, from 1859. The carol has since been translated into hundreds of languages and is often said to have been sung by soldiers on both sides during the Christmas truce of 1914.
Silent Night is traditional and out of copyright, so the words are free to print and sing at school, at church or at home. For printable sheets, download our free carols and activities pack (PDF).