O Holy Night – English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey through the profound narrative of "O Holy Night," a carol steeped in history and poignant meaning. This song offers a unique opportunity to explore the rich vocabulary and emotional depth of English, especially its expressions of faith, hope, and social justice. Its soaring melodies and powerful lyrics, translated from French with an abolitionist spirit, make it a truly special piece for language learners to appreciate the beauty and impact of words in a musical context.

[English]

Oh, holy night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world

in sin and error pining

'Til 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

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night,

O night divine.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
holy /ˈhoʊli/ A2	adjective - dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a luminous point in the night sky that is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun
brightly /ˈbraɪtli/ A2	adverb - in a way that gives out or reflects a lot of light; brilliantly
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to give out or reflect light; be luminous
Savior's /ˈseɪvjərz/ B1	noun - a person who saves someone or something from danger
birth /bɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth and all of its inhabitants
sin /sɪn/ B1	noun - an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law
error /ˈerər/ B1	noun - a mistake
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
worth /wɜːrθ/ B1	noun - the value of someone or something
hope /hoʊp/ A1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
weary /ˈwɪri/ B1	adjective - feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep
rejoices /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪz/ B1	verb - feel or show great joy or delight.
new /njuː/ A1	adjective - not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently
glorious /ˈɡlɔːriəs/ B2	adjective - giving or deserving glory; glorious
knees /niːz/ A2	noun - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans
angel /ˈeɪndʒəl/ B1	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as a messenger of God, often represented as human-like with wings
voices /ˈvɔɪsɪz/ A2	noun - sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh, holy night!

  ➔ Exclamatory Sentence

  ➔ The sentence starts with 'Oh,' to express strong emotion or admiration, typical of exclamatory sentences.

• The stars are brightly shining

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The use of 'are shining' indicates an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the stars' brightness.

• Long lay the world in sin and error pining

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'Long lay' indicates a past action that continued for a long time, describing the world's state before Christ's birth.

• A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

  ➔ Apposition

  ➔ 'A thrill of hope' is in apposition to 'the weary world rejoices,' providing additional information about the subject.

• Fall on your knees

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The verb 'fall' is in the imperative mood, giving a direct command to the listener.

• O night divine, O night when Christ was born

  ➔ Vocative Case

  ➔ 'O night divine' uses the vocative case to directly address the night as if it were a person.