“O Holy Night” is one of the most beloved Christmas songs in the world, born in a small French town where the parish priest asked a local poet to write a poem for Midnight Mass in 1847. The original, Minuit, chrétiens or Cantique de Noël, was set to music by the composer Adolphe Adam; its English version by John Sullivan Dwight made it famous in America. Below are the English lyrics, the story of the carol, the meaning of its verses, and a prayer for Christmas night.
The lyrics
The English translation by John Sullivan Dwight, as printed in Gems of English Song (1875):
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the 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!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming;
With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand:
So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land,
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend;
He knows our need, To our weakness no stranger!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! your King! before him bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease,
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise his Holy name!
Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we!
His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!
The story of O Holy Night
- 1847, Roquemaure, France. To celebrate the restoration of the church organ, the parish priest asked Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet of the town, to write a Christmas poem. Cappeau wrote Minuit, chrétiens (“Midnight, Christians”) while traveling to Paris.
- The music was composed by Adolphe Adam, famous for the ballet Giselle. The carol was first sung at Midnight Mass in Roquemaure that Christmas.
- 1855: John Sullivan Dwight, an American music critic and minister, published the English translation sung today. His third verse, “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,” spoke powerfully to Americans in the years before the Civil War.
- The carol spread across the world and is sung at countless Christmas Masses and concerts.
The meaning of the carol
- Verse 1: the world lay “in sin and error pining” until Christ came, and then “the soul felt its worth”: in the Incarnation, God shows how much every human person is worth. “Fall on your knees” is the call to adoration.
- Verse 2: like the wise men led by the star, we are led by the light of faith to the manger, to a King “born to be our friend,” who knows our weakness.
- Verse 3: Christ’s law is love and his Gospel is peace; in his name every chain and oppression shall end. The carol becomes a hymn of praise: “Christ is the Lord!”
A prayer for Christmas night
Written for this page:
Lord Jesus, on this holy night I fall on my knees before you.
You came into a weary world and showed us what our souls are worth.
Break every chain of sin in me, and make me your friend.
Teach me to love as you love, and to bring your peace to others. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote O Holy Night?
Placide Cappeau wrote the French words (1847), Adolphe Adam composed the music, and John Sullivan Dwight wrote the English translation (1855).
Is O Holy Night a Catholic song?
It was written in a Catholic parish in France for Midnight Mass, and it is sung by Christians of every tradition.
What does “the soul felt its worth” mean?
That in Christ’s birth we discover our true dignity: God loved us so much that he became one of us.
More Christmas hymns and prayers
- Christmas carols: lyrics and stories
- Joy to the World
- Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
- Silent Night
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- Catholic Christmas prayers
- Christmas Mass
- Epiphany
Texts and sources
- Lyrics: Placide Cappeau, Cantique de Noël (1847), English by John Sullivan Dwight, as printed in Gems of English Song (1875), public domain (Wikisource).
- The prayer was written for this page.