DolphinA's Corner: Festività

A wonderful "Victorian Christmas" to all!!!

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay;
Remember Christ, our Saviour,
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger,
Upon this blessed morn;
That which His Mother Mary,
Did nothing take in scorn.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our Heavenly Father,
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
“Fear not,” then said the Angel,
“let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding,
In tempest, storm, and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy

Questa è la prima cartolina natalizia commerciale della storia,
venne stampata a Londra nel 1843 in soli 1000 esemplari.

Montage of beautiful christmas pictures to the song
"God rest ye merry gentlemen"
sung by the choirs of Bath and Winchester cathedrals.

La canzone "God rest ye merry, gentlemen" è un tradizionale canto natalizio inglese, originario probabilmente intorno al XV – XVI secolo, ma pubblicato per la prima volta solo nel 1823 nella raccolta a cura di William B. Sandys Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (anche se i primi versi si trovano già in Ancient Mysteries Described di William Hone).

Il brano è citato anche nell’opera letteraria “Canto di Natale” (A Christmas Carol) di Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870), e in particolare nella scena in cui Scrooge fa fuggire un gruppo di cantori di canti natalizi.

(Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.)