O Holy Night – English Lyrics

• By: Pentatonix
• Album: The Greatest Christmas Hits

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and musical journey with Pentatonix's "O Holy Night." This stunning a cappella rendition offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in English through its clear articulation and powerful storytelling. The song's rich harmonies and emotional delivery make the traditional English lyrics deeply resonant, allowing learners to connect with the language on a profound level while appreciating the masterful vocal artistry that makes this version truly special.

[English]

Oh, 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

Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

Oh, night, oh, Holy Night, oh night divine

Oh, night, oh, night divine, oh, Holy Night

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Holy /ˈhoʊli/ B1	adjective - dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.
Night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours; the time between sunset and sunrise.
Stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a natural luminous body visible in the sky, especially at night.
Saviour /ˈseɪvjər/ B2	noun - a person who saves someone or something from danger, difficulty, or destruction (in a Christian context, referring to Jesus Christ).
Birth /bɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother.
World /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
Sin /sɪn/ B1	noun - an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. verb - to commit an immoral act.
Pine /paɪn/ B2	verb - to suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart or longing; to yearn deeply. noun - an evergreen coniferous tree which has clusters of long needle-shaped leaves.
Soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, regarded as immortal.
Hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. verb - to want something to happen or be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might.
Weary /ˈwɪri/ B2	adjective - feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep; exhausted.
Rejoice /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/ B2	verb - to feel or show great joy or delight.
Glorious /ˈɡlɔːriəs/ B2	adjective - having or deserving glory; magnificent; splendid.
Morn /mɔːrn/ C1	noun - morning (used in poetic or archaic contexts).
Divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ B2	adjective - of, from, or like God or a god; sacred and holy.
Angel /ˈeɪndʒəl/ B1	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, often depicted in human form with wings.
Christ /kraɪst/ B1	noun - the title of Jesus, regarded by Christians as the Messiah and saviour.
Born /bɔːrn/ A2	verb - to be brought into existence by birth (past participle of 'bear').

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh, Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase 'are brightly shining' uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing brilliance of the stars.

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

  ➔ Possessive apostrophe

  ➔ The phrase 'our dear Saviour's birth' uses the possessive apostrophe to show ownership, indicating the birth belongs to the Saviour.

• Long lay the world in sin and error pining

  ➔ Past tense with 'lay'

  ➔ The verb 'lay' is used in the past tense to describe a prolonged state of the world being in sin and error.

• A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

  ➔ Appositive phrase

  ➔ The phrase 'a thrill of hope' is an appositive that renames or explains 'the weary world rejoices,' providing additional context.

• For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn

  ➔ Present tense with future meaning

  ➔ The present tense 'breaks' is used to describe a future event, emphasizing the certainty and immediacy of the new morning.

• Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase 'fall on your knees' uses the imperative mood to give a direct command or instruction.

• Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born

  ➔ Past tense with 'was born'

  ➔ The phrase 'when Christ was born' uses the past tense to refer to a specific event that occurred in the past.