God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen!
It is believed that the lyrics to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen originate over 600 years ago in the 15th-Century, which would make it one of the oldest known Christmas carols. Supposedly the song was sung to the aristocracy by town watchmen.
It was first published in a 1833 collection of 'Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern' that had been collected by William Sandys.
The title, and opeing line is often mis-said as 'God rest ye, merry gentlemen', implying that the gentlemen themselves are merry (happy). It should be sung as 'God rest ye merry, gentlemen', where 'merry is a shortened form of 'merrily'. So the sense is that the gentlemen are being wished a happy time.
This is the carol of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, 1843: "...at the first sound of "God bless you merry, gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!" Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost."
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen! - Lyrics
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 Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The 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 a 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
>>> Next carol: Good King Wenceslas
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