Hark! The Herald Banjo Rings
Christmas 2010
November 29
This Polish carol is known by many English names, as translations vary. In 50 Three-Chord Christmas Songs, where we discovered it, the song is called "In the Silence of the Night."
Liddy gave Greg his first banjo for Christmas 2007, and in 2009 he returned the favor, putting a tin whistle in her Christmas stocking. (This was actually her second tin whistle: the first came from the National Museum of American History gift shop twenty years earlier.) She enjoyed adding embellishments and playing with the rhythms of the simple melody. Greg added the accompaniment track later.
Downloads: mp3
Wśród nocnej ciszy
Performed by Liddy Barlow on tin whistle and Greg Barlow on ukulele
Words and music: Polish hymn
Polski
Wśród nocnej ciszy głos się rozchodzi
Wstańcie pasterze Bóg się wam rodzi
Czem prędzej się wybierajcie
Do Betlejem pospieszajcie
Przywitać Pana.
Poszli znaleźli Dziseciątko w żłobie
Z wszystkimi znaki danymi sobie
Jako Bogu cześć mu dali
A witając zawołali
Z wielkiej radości.
Ach witaj Zbawco z dawna żądany
Wiele tysięcy lat wyglądany
Na Ciebie króle prorocy
Czekali, a Tyś tej nocy
Nam się objawił.
I my czekamy na Ciebie Pana
A skoro przyjdziesz na głos kapłana
Padniemy na twarz przed Tobą
Wierząc żeś jest pod osłoną
Chleba i wina.
English
Angels from heaven in the silent night,
Sang to the shepherds with their voices bright,
"Wake up shepherds, time is fleeting!
Tell your lambs to stop their bleating!
Find the Wondrous Child!"
Trusting and eager, they searched for the Child;
Found him in a manger, Babe and Mother mild;
Happily they bowed before him,
Piping praise they all adored him,
Jesus Wondrous Child.
Come all you people, come to find our King;
come to the stable, hearts as offering;
Can't you hear the shepherds singing,
Can't you hear the joybells ringing
for our Wondrous Child?
Angels from heaven in the silent night,
Sang to the shepherds with their voices bright,
Angels singing, bells a-ringing,
All their joyful sounds are bringing to our Wondrous Child,
to our Wondrous Child.
Sources and more information
- 50 Three-Chord Christmas Songs for Guitar, Banjo, and Uke, Larry McCabe, Mel Bay Publications, 2009.
- Hymns and Carols of Christmas - Wondrous Child
- Hymns and Carols of Christmas - In Midnight's Silence
- ingeb.org
- The Cyber Hymnal