Carol of the Bells – English Lyrics

• By: Pentatonix

Lyrics & Translation

Learning the original Ukrainian lyrics of "Shchedryk," the song that became "Carol of the Bells," offers a fascinating look into Ukrainian culture and a pre-Christian tradition of celebrating the New Year with wishes of abundance. Pentatonix's dynamic and vocally intricate version, with its layers of harmony and beatboxing, provides a modern entry point to explore the song's rich and layered history, from an ancient folk chant to a global Christmas staple.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bell /bɛl/ A1	noun - a hollow metallic instrument that makes a ringing sound when struck
cheer /tʃɪr/ A2	noun - a shout of joy or support verb - to shout in joy or support
joyful /ˈdʒɔɪfəl/ B1	adjective - feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness
merry /ˈmɛri/ A2	adjective - cheerful and lively
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
sound /saʊnd/ A2	noun - what you hear verb - to make a noise
raise /reɪz/ B1	verb - to lift or move to a higher position
pound /paʊnd/ B2	verb - to hit or strike heavily
carol /ˈkɛrəl/ B1	noun - a song of joy or praise, especially one sung at Christmas
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for a short time
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time
everywhere /ˈɛvriˌwɛr/ B1	adverb - in or to all places
tale /teɪl/ B2	noun - a story, especially one that is imaginary or fictitious

Key Grammar Structures

• Hark how the bells

  ➔ Interrogative pronoun + adverb + noun

  ➔ Uses the question word "how" to inquire about the manner in which the bells sound.

• All seem to say

  ➔ Infinitive verb form in the clause after "seem"

  ➔ The verb "seem" is used with the base form of a verb to express appearance or impression.

• That is the song

  ➔ Relative clause introduced by "that"

  ➔ Uses a relative clause to specify which song is being referred to.

• While people sing songs of good cheer

  ➔ Present participle phrase indicating simultaneous action

  ➔ The use of the present participle "sing" shows an ongoing or concurrent action.

• Filling the air

  ➔ Present participle phrase showing ongoing descriptive action

  ➔ The phrase "Filling the air" describes an ongoing action contributing to the atmosphere.

• On on they send

  ➔ Repetition of adverb "on" for emphasis, and simple present tense

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes continuous action through repetition of "on" with a simple present tense verb "send".