| Cover: | Abies alba1.jpg |
| Caption: | Silver fir (Abies alba) |
| Language: | German |
| English Title: | O Christmas Tree |
| Published: | 1824 |
"" (pronounced as /de/; "O fir tree"), known in English as "O Christmas Tree", is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song that was unrelated to the holiday, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree.
The modern lyrics were written in 1824 by the Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree. The lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas, or describe a decorated Christmas tree. Instead, they refer to the fir's evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.[1]
Anschütz based his text on a 16th-century Silesian folk song by Melchior Franck, "". In 1819 August Zarnack wrote a tragic love song inspired by this folk song, taking the evergreen, "faithful" fir tree as contrasting with a faithless lover. The folk song first became associated with Christmas with Anschütz, who added two verses of his own to the first, traditional verse. The custom of the Christmas tree developed in the course of the 19th century, and the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol. Anschütz's version still had (true, faithful) as the adjective describing the fir's leaves (needles), harking back to the contrast to the faithless maiden of the folk song. This was changed to (green) at some point in the 20th century, after the song had come to be associated with Christmas.[2]
The tune is an old folk tune attested in the 16th century. It is also known as the tune of "" and of "".
| Anschütz (1824)[3] | Loose English translation[4] | Another English version[5] | Yet another English version[6] | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| valign=top | valign=top style="padding:0 1em;" | O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,With what delight I see you!When winter days are dark and drearYou bring us hope for all the year.O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,With what delight I see you | O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,You bear a joyful message:That faith and hope shall ever bloomTo bring us light in winter’s gloom.O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,You bear a joyful message | valign=top style="padding:0 1em;" | O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,You give us so much pleasure!How oft at Christmas tide the sight,O green fir tree, gives us delight | O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,You give us so much pleasure! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas TreeForever true your colour.Your boughs so green in summertimeStay bravely green in wintertime.O Christmas Tree, O Christmas TreeForever true your colour. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas TreeYou fill my heart with music.Reminding me on Christmas DayTo think of you and then be gay.O Christmas Tree, O Christmas TreeYou fill my heart with music. | valign=top | Not only in the summertime,But even in winter is thy prime.O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,How are thy leaves so verdant! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,Much pleasure dost thou bring me | For ev'ry year the Christmas tree,Brings to us all both joy and glee.O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,Much pleasure dost thou bring me! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,How lovely are thy branches | Not only green when summer's hereBut in the coldest time of year.O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,How lovely are thy branches! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,How sturdy God hath made thee | Thou bidd'st us all place faithfullyOur trust in God, unchangingly!O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,How sturdy God hath made thee | O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,Thy candles shine out brightly!Each bough doth hold its tiny light,That makes each toy to sparkle bright.O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,Thy candles shine out brightly |
The tune has also been used (as a contrafactum) to carry other texts on many occasions. Notable uses include:
