O du fröhliche

General information

"O du fröhliche" ("Oh, how joyful", literally: "Oh, you joyful ... [Christmastime]") is a German Christmas carol. The author of the original text was the prominent Weimar "orphan father" Johannes Daniel Falk (1768–1826), who set his lyric to the anonymous hymn-tune "O sanctissima" (O most holy). Shortly after Falk's death, his former assistant Heinrich Holzschuher [de] (1798–1847) from Wunsiedel completed the set of three verses that are sung today.

Settings by composers (automated)

• Winfried Grünewald — O du fröhliche  German SATB
• Christoph Lahme — O du fröhliche  German SATB
• Christoph Lahme — O du fröhliche (Organo obligato)  German Unison

 

Text and translations

German text

1.  O du fröhliche,
O du selige,
Gnadenbringende Weihnachtszeit.
Welt ging verloren,
Christ ward geboren,
Freue, freue dich, o Christenheit!

2.  O du fröhliche,
O du selige,
Gnadenbringende Weihnachtszeit.
Christ ist erschienen,
Uns zu versühnen,
Freue, freue dich, o Christenheit!

3.  O du fröhliche,
O du selige,
Gnadenbringende Weihnachtszeit.
Himmlische Heere
Jauchzen Dir Ehre,
Freue, freue dich, o Christenheit!

English translation

External links

External websites:

• English translation available at O how joyfully o how blessedly
• English translation available at O how joyfully o how blessedly