O Holy Night – English Lyrics

• By: Céline Dion
• Album: These Are Special Times

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with Céline Dion's iconic interpretation of "O Holy Night." This timeless Christmas carol offers a rich vocabulary for expressing profound spiritual themes, hope, and peace. Through Dion's clear articulation and powerful delivery, learners can grasp complex phrasing and poetic language, while also experiencing the universal message of the song, making it a truly special piece for both language acquisition and cultural understanding.

[English]

♪ O holy night ♪

♪ The stars are brightly shining ♪

♪ It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth ♪

♪ Long lay the world in sin and error pining ♪

♪ Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth ♪

♪ A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices ♪

♪ For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn ♪

♪ Fall on your knees ♪

♪ Oh, hear the angel voices ♪

♪ O night divine ♪

♪ Oh, the night when Christ was born ♪

♪ O night divine ♪

♪ Oh, night ♪

♪ Oh night divine ♪

♪ Truly He taught us to love one another ♪

♪ His law is love and His gospel is peace ♪

♪ Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother ♪

♪ And in His name all oppression shall cease ♪

♪ Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we ♪

♪ Let all within us Praise His Holy name ♪

♪ Christ is the Lord ♪

♪ Then ever, ever praise we ♪

♪ Noel, Noel ♪

♪ Oh night, o night divine ♪

♪ Noel, Noel ♪

♪ Oh night, o night divine ♪

♪ Noel, Noel ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh holy night ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the time between sunset and sunrise
holy /ˈhəʊ.li/ A2	adjective - dedicated to God; sacred
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a fixed luminous point in the night sky that is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.
brightly /ˈbraɪt.li/ B1	adverb - in a way that produces a lot of light; strongly
shining /ˈʃaɪ.nɪŋ/ A2	verb - to give out a bright light
Saviour's /ˈseɪ.vjərz/ B2	noun - a person who saves someone from danger or difficulty
birth /bɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the act or process of bearing or bringing forth a child
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth and all the people and things on it
soul /səʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
hope /həʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth and all the people and things on it
knees /niːz/ A1	noun - the part of a leg where it bends
angel /ˈeɪndʒəl/ A2	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as a messenger of God
voices /ˈvɔɪ.sɪz/ A2	noun - sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth
Christ /kraɪst/ B1	noun - the title given to Jesus
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone noun - an intense feeling of deep affection.
law /lɔː/ B1	noun - the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - freedom from disturbance; tranquility.
brother /ˈbrʌð.ər/ A1	noun - a male sibling
oppression /əˈpreʃ.ən/ B2	noun - prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.
joy /dʒɔɪ/ A2	noun - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
praise /preɪz/ A2	verb - express warm approval or admiration of. noun - the expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.
Lord /lɔːrd/ A2	noun - (in the Christian religion) God

Key Grammar Structures

• It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.

  ➔ Possessive form with apostrophe + s

  ➔ The word "Saviour's" shows possession, meaning the birth belongs to the Saviour.

• Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

  ➔ Inversion (verb before subject) for poetic emphasis

  ➔ The normal order would be "The world lay long..." but reversing creates a poetic tone.

• Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ "Appeared" and "felt" describe completed actions in the past.

• Fall on your knees.

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verb "Fall" gives a direct command or urging to the listener.

• Truly He taught us to love one another.

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + verb)

  ➔ The phrase "to love one another" explains the purpose of His teaching.

• His law is love and His gospel is peace.

  ➔ Equative sentence (linking verb 'is')

  ➔ Here, "is" links the subject and complement, showing identity or description.

• Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

  ➔ Future with 'shall' for formal prediction or promise

  ➔ "Shall break" means a strong, formal promise that the chains will be broken.

• Let all within us praise His holy name.

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'let' for encouragement or suggestion

  ➔ The phrase "Let all within us" is a poetic way to urge everyone to join in praise.

• Christ is the Lord.

  ➔ Simple present for timeless truth

  ➔ "Is" expresses a fact that is always true, not limited by time.