O Tannenbaum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
O Tannenbaum, or, in its English version, "O Christmas Tree" is a Christmas carol of German origin.
A Tannenbaum is a fir tree (German die Tanne) or Christmas tree (der Weihnachtsbaum). Its evergreen qualities have long inspired musicians to write several "Tannenbaum" songs in German.
The best known version was penned in 1824 by a Leipzig organist and teacher named Ernst Anschütz. The melody is an old folk tune. The first known "Tannenbaum" song lyrics date back to 1550. A similar 1615 song by Melchior Franck (1573-1639) goes:
Ach Tannenbaum, ach Tannenbaum, du bist ein edler Zweig! Du grünest uns den Winter, die liebe Sommerzeit.
The tune is also used as the melody of the British Labour Party song, The Red Flag, the Cornell University "Evening Song", and the official state songs of Maryland (Maryland, My Maryland) and Iowa (The Song of Iowa[1]), as well as the popular, but unofficial song Michigan, My Michigan. An instrumental version of "O Tannenbaum" was composed by former pianist Vince Guaraldi for the Peanuts special "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a very popular Christmas TV show that was created and first aired in 1965 and continues to air during the holiday season.
Following are the lyrics, both the two originals in German, and two common translations in English. Note that the English versions are not an exactly literal translation of the German lyrics — they were re-worked slightly when originally adapted, both to sound more elegant and to rhyme.
- German
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Wie grün sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Wie grün sind deine Blätter!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat schon zur Winterszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
- English
| I | II |
|
O Christmas Tree O, Christmas Tree, |
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree! |
|
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, |
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, |
|
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, |
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, |
[edit] Media
- O Christmas Tree (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Piano solo in 2 parts; midrange and higher
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
[edit] References
- ^ New Citizen Civic Handbook, page 44. sos.state.ia.us (2006). Retrieved on December 26, 2006.
[edit] External links
