Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: John Legend, Esperanza Spalding

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the timeless holiday classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as interpreted by John Legend and Esperanza Spalding. This song offers a beautiful blend of melancholy and hope, perfect for understanding nuanced English expressions related to emotions and festive well-wishes. Its rich history of lyrical evolution makes it special, showcasing how language can adapt to convey different sentiments while retaining its core message of connection and cheer during the holiday season.

[English]

♪ Have yourself a merry little Christmas ♪

♪ Let your heart be light ♪

♪ From now on our troubles will be out of sight ♪

♪ Have yourself a merry little Christmas ♪

♪ Make the yuletide gay ♪

♪ From now on our troubles will be miles away ♪

♪ Here we are as in olden days ♪

♪ Happy golden days of yore ♪

♪ Faithful friends who are dear to us ♪

♪ Gather near to us once more ♪

♪ Through the years we all will be together ♪

♪ If the fate allows ♪

♪ Hang a shining star up on the highest bough ♪

♪ Have yourself a merry little Christmas now ♪

(trumpet playing)

♪ Here we are as in olden days ♪

♪ Happy golden days of yore ♪

♪ Faithful friends who are dear to us ♪

♪ Gather near to us once more ♪

♪ Through the years we all will be together ♪

♪ If the fate allows ♪

♪ Hang a shining star upon the highest bough ♪

♪ Have yourself a merry little Christmas now ♪

♪ Have a merry little Christmas now ♪

♪ Have yourself a merry little Christmas yeah ♪

♪ A merry little Christmas ♪

♪ Have a merry little Christmas now ♪

♪ Yeah yeah ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Christmas /ˈkrɪs·məs/ A1	noun - the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood; the centre of emotion
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - visible illumination; brightness adjective - not heavy; having little weight
troubles /ˈtrʌb·əlz/ B1	noun - problems or difficulties
yuletide /ˈjuːl·taɪd/ C1	noun - the Christmas season
merry /ˈmer·i/ A2	adjective - cheerful and lively
little /ˈlɪt·əl/ A1	adjective - small in size or amount
golden /ˈɡoʊ·l·dən/ B1	adjective - made of gold; bright yellow
faithful /ˈfeɪð·fəl/ B2	adjective - loyal, reliable, true
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - people with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
gather /ˈɡað·ər/ A2	verb - to bring together; to collect
fate /feɪt/ B2	noun - the development of events beyond a person's control
hang /hæŋ/ A1	verb - to attach or suspend from above
shining /ˈʃaɪ·nɪŋ/ B2	adjective - emitting light; bright
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a luminous point in the night sky; a celebrated person
highest /ˈhaɪ·ɪst/ B2	adjective - at the greatest height or level
bough /baʊ/ C1	noun - a main branch of a tree
trumpet /ˈtrʌmpɪt/ A2	noun - a brass wind instrument with a flared bell

Key Grammar Structures

• Have yourself a merry little Christmas

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The word "Have" is used as a command, showing the imperative mood.

• Let your heart be light

  ➔ Let‑construction (subjunctive with bare infinitive)

  ➔ The verb "Let" introduces a subjunctive idea, followed by the bare infinitive "be".

• From now on our troubles will be out of sight

  ➔ Future simple with "will"

  ➔ The auxiliary "will" marks a simple future prediction: "will be".

• Make the yuletide gay

  ➔ Imperative with bare infinitive

  ➔ The verb "Make" is a command followed directly by the infinitive "gay" (used adjectivally).

• Here we are as in olden days

  ➔ Present simple of "be"

  ➔ The verb "are" (present simple of "be") states a current situation.

• If the fate allows

  ➔ Zero conditional (present simple + present simple)

  ➔ The verb "allows" is in the present simple, forming a zero conditional clause that expresses a general truth.

• Hang a shining star up on the highest bough

  ➔ Imperative with bare infinitive (command)

  ➔ The verb "Hang" is a direct command, followed by the object phrase.

• Through the years we all will be together

  ➔ Future simple with "will"

  ➔ The auxiliary "will" again signals a future action: "will be together".

• Gather near to us once more

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verb "Gather" is used as a direct command to the listeners.