German Christmas Poem

[TRavine]

This is a very famous old German Christmas poem by Joseph von Eichendorff. Dates back to the 1800s.


Markt und Straßen stehn verlassen,
still erleuchtet jedes Haus,
Sinnend' geh ich durch die Gassen,
alles sieht so festlich aus.

(Market and streets lie abandoned.
Quietly illuminated, every house.
Musing, I walk through the alleys,
everything looks so festive.)

An den Fenstern haben Frauen
buntes Spielzeug fromm geschmückt,
Tausend Kindlein stehn und schauen,
sind so wundervoll beglückt.

(The windows have been decorated by women, with colourful toys.
A thousand children stand and look,
are so wonderfully delighted).

Und ich wandre aus den Mauern
Bis hinaus ins freie Feld,
Hehres Glänzen, heil'ges Schauern!
Wie so weit und still die Welt!

(And I wander past the city walls,
out into the open fields.
Sublime gleaming, sacred shivering,
how the world is so wide and still.)

Sterne hoch die Kreise schlingen,
Aus des Schnees Einsamkeit
Steigt's wie wunderbares Singen-
O du gnadenreiche Zeit!

(Stars are looping circles high above,
out of snowy solitude,
rises, like wonderous singing,
o, you gracious time of year).

[DaisyNinjaGirl]

That's really lovely. I particularly like the images in the last verse.

[merry]

I love this poem. It has such beauty in it.

I'm trying to learn it in German. Going slowly

[Philipaholt]

O you gracious time of year....