Angels We Have Heard On High

Angels play a significant part in the first Christmas.  An angel visited Mary to tell her she was to give birth to the Christ child.  An angel appeared to Joseph to tell him about the upcoming birth of Jesus and on the night of his birth, angels appeared in the sky over Bethlehem to tell the shepherds of his arrival.

The angels told the shepherds that Jesus was born in a stable.  They were told to go to Bethlehem and see the baby who they would find in a manger.

Angels We Have Heard on High is a Christmas carol to the hymn tune Gloria from a traditional French song called Les Anges dans nos campagnes.  James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, in England paraphrased the French song into English.  It is not an exact translation.  

The subject of the song is the birth of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Luke.  It tells of the scene in which the shepherds in the fields outside of Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.

James Chadwick’s lyrics, which are the most-common English version, was paraphrased in 1862.  The refrain "Gloria in excelsis Deo" is Latin for “Glory to God in the Highest”. 

Here are the lyrics to the English and French versions.

English                                                          French

Angels we have heard on high                Les anges dans nos campagnes

Sweetly singing o'er the plains               Ont entonné l'hymne des cieux,

And the mountains in reply                     Et l'écho de nos montagnes

Echoing their joyous strains                    Redit ce chant mélodieux

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                               Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                               Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?                   Bergers, pour qui cette fête?

Why your joyous strains prolong?          Quel est l'objet de tous ces chants?

What the gladsome tidings be?              Quel vainqueur, quelle conquête

Which inspire your heavenly songs?      Mérite ces cris triomphants?

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                                Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                                Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see                    Ils annoncent la naissance

Him whose birth the angels sing;           Du libérateur d'Israël

Come, adore on bended knee,                 Et pleins de reconnaissance

Christ the Lord, the newborn King.        Chantent en ce jour solennel

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                                Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!                                Gloria in excelsis Deo!

See Him in a manger laid

Whom the choirs of angels praise;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

While our heart in love we raise.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

What do you place on top of your tree?  A star or an angel? Because angels appeared in the sky, people began to place an angel on the top of their tree.  I have an angel on top of mine. 

Have a great day everyone.  Enjoy the music of this time of year. 

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays