Do You Hear What I Hear? – English Lyrics

• By: Pentatonix, Whitney Houston

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poignant layers of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" This beloved Christmas carol, with its deceptively simple lyrics, offers a rich linguistic journey. You can learn vocabulary related to nature, storytelling, and even historical context, as the song cleverly weaves a Nativity narrative with a powerful, hidden message for peace during a tense global event. Its repetitive, question-and-answer structure is excellent for practicing conversational phrases, while the imagery provides a beautiful backdrop for cultural understanding.

[English]

Do you hear what I hear

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

Ringing through the night, shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

A song, a song, high above the trees

With a voice as big as the sea

With a voice as big as the sea

Now, said the shepherd boy to the mighty king

Do you know what I know

In your palace warm, mighty king

Do you know what I know

A child, a child, shivers in the cold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere

Listen to what I say

Pray for peace, people everywhere

Listen to what I say

A child, a child, sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light

Do you hear

Do you hear, do you hear

Do you hear, do you know

What I know, what I hear

What I hear, do you know, do you know

Do you know, sing do you know, what I know

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hear /hɪr/ A1	verb - to perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
lamb /læm/ A2	noun - a young sheep
shepherd /ˈʃepərd/ A2	noun - a person who tends sheep
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
song /sɔŋ/ A1	noun - a composition for voice or voices
trees /triːz/ A1	noun - a perennial woody plant
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth
palace /ˈpæləs/ B1	noun - the official residence of a sovereign
warm /wɔːrm/ A2	adjective - having or producing a comfortably high temperature
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature
silver /ˈsɪlvər/ A2	noun - a precious shiny greyish-white metal
gold /ɡoʊld/ A2	noun - a precious yellow metallic element
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - freedom from disturbance; tranquility
sleeping /ˈsliːpɪŋ/ A1	verb - to be in a state of rest
goodness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ B1	noun - the quality of being good, moral, virtuous, or beneficial
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible

Key Grammar Structures

• Do you hear what I hear

  ➔ Interrogative sentence with auxiliary 'do' for forming questions in the present simple tense.

  ➔ 'Do' is used to form questions in the present simple tense, especially when the main verb is 'hear'.

• A song, a song, high above the trees

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis and rhythmic effect.

  ➔ Repetition in lyrics enhances the musical rhythm and emphasizes the message.

• With a voice as big as the sea

  ➔ Simile comparing the voice to the size of the sea, using 'as ... as'.

  ➔ This structure uses a simile with 'as ... as' to create a vivid comparison.

• Now, said the shepherd boy to the mighty king

  ➔ Past simple tense with reported speech structure.

  ➔ The phrase reports what the shepherd boy said in the past, using past simple tense.

• Pray for peace, people everywhere

  ➔ Imperative sentence with the verb 'pray' for issuing a command or wish.

  ➔ The verb 'pray' in imperative form expresses a plea or wish for peace.

• He will bring us goodness and light

  ➔ Future simple tense with 'will' to describe an action that will happen.

  ➔ 'Will' indicates a future action or event that is expected to happen.

• Do you hear, do you hear

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis, using auxiliary 'do' to form questions and negatives.

  ➔ Repeating 'do you hear' emphasizes the question and engages the listener.