"Angels We Have Heard on High" is a Christmas carol of French origin. The song commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.
Contents
Translations
The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes (literally, "The Angels in our countryside") composed by an unknown author in Languedoc, France. That song has received many adjustments or alignments including its most common English version that was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, northeast England. The carol quickly became popular in the West Country, where it was described as 'Cornish' by R.R. Chope, and featured in Pickard-Cambridge's Collection of Dorset Carols.
There is also a Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) translation of the carol which is known as Ainglean chuala sinn gu h-ard (literally, "Angels We Have Heard on High"). This was translated into Gaelic by Iain MacMilan from James Chadwick's English translation. It has since been re-translated by world-renowned bassist Joseph Schlegel and his cohorts the Rowdy Bunch. It has been said that this translation spurred a Christian revivalist movement in the north metro area of Denver, Colorado.
Tunes
"Angels We Have Heard on High" is most commonly sung to the hymn tune "Gloria", as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. Its most memorable feature is its chorus:
Gloria in Excelsis Deo! (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")Where the sung vowel sound "o" of "Gloria" is fluidly sustained through a lengthy rising and falling melismatic melodic sequence:
Glo-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-O-ri-a in Ex-cel-sis De-o!"Gloria in Excelsis Deo" is the first line of the song of the angels in the Gospel according to Luke.
The phrase also appears melismatically in the Latin version of the carol "O Come All Ye Faithful", though somewhat less extended:
Glo-o-o-O-ri-a in Ex-cel-sis De-o.In England, the words of James Montgomery's "Angels from the Realms of Glory" are sung to this tune, except with the "Gloria in excelsis Deo" refrain. It is from this usage that the tune sometimes is known as Iris, the name of Montgomery's newspaper.
In the English version of "O Come All Ye Faithful", that phrase is poetically translated as Glo-ry to Go-od, Glo-ry in the High-est, (or, "Glo-ry to Go-od, In-- the-- High-est"), reducing the melisma to no more than two notes per word.
English
Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o’er the plain And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be? Which inspire your heavenly songs?Gloria
Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.Gloria
See Him in a manger laid, Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, With us sing our Savior's birth.Gloria
French
Les anges dans nos campagnes Ont entonné l'hymne des cieux, Et l'écho de nos montagnes Redit ce chant mélodieuxGloria in excelsis Deo (Bis)
Bergers, pour qui cette fête ? Quel est l'objet de tous ces chants ? Quel vainqueur, quelle conquête Mérite ces cris triomphants :Gloria in excelsis Deo (Bis)
Ils annoncent la naissance Du libérateur d'Israël Et pleins de reconnaissance Chantent en ce jour solennelGloria in excelsis Deo (Bis)
Cherchons tous l'heureux village Qui l'a vu naître sous ses toits Offrons-lui le tendre hommage Et de nos cœurs et de nos voixGloria in excelsis Deo (Bis)
Bergers, quittez vos retraites, Unissez-vous à leurs concerts, Et que vos tendres musettes Fassent retentir les airsGloria in excelsis Deo (Bis)
Scottish Gaelic
Ainglean chuala sinn gu h-ard, Seinn cho milis feadh an àit', Na beanntannan co - sheirm an ciùil, 'S Mac talla freagairt bòidheach ciùin.Seisd (Chorus):
Seinn moladh agus glòir, Moladh agus glòir Moladh agus glòir do Dhia, An Dàrna Pearsa naomh den Trian. Seinn moladh agus glòir, Moladh agus glòir Moladh agus glòir do Dhia, An Dàrna Pearsa naomh den Trian. Chìobairean, carson ur duan? Carson a tha e àlainn buan? Innsibh dhuinn ur naidheachd-ghaoil Dhùisg sibh suas gu ceòl cho naomh.Seisd (Chorus)
Thig gu Bethlehem, thig is chì, Chì thu'n Tighearna Dia do Righ; Lùb do ghlùin 's thoir adhradh dhà, Crìosda rugadh dhuinn na phàisd'.Seisd (Chorus)
German
Hört der Engel helle Lieder klingen das weite Feld entlang, und die Berge hallen wider von des Himmels LobgesangChorus:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Hirten, sagt, was ist geschehen, was tun uns die Engel kund? Alles Leid könnt jetzt vergehen auf dem weiten ErdenrundChorus
Denn ein Kindlein ist geboren, kommen ist der Heiland dein. Er errettet, was verloren, Friede soll auf Erden seinChorus
Spanish
Ángeles cantando están, tan dulcísima canción, las montañas su eco dan, como fiel contestación.Chorus:
Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oria a Dios en lo alto. (bis) Los pastores sin cesar sus cantares dan a Dios, cuán glorioso es el cantar de su melodiosa voz.Chorus
Hoy anuncian con fervor que ha nacido el Salvador los mortales gozarán paz y buena voluntad.Chorus
¡Oh! Venid pronto a Belén para contemplar con fe a Jesús, autor del bien, al recién nacido Rey.Chorus
Mandarin Chinese
天使歌唱在高天，美妙歌聲遍平原， Tiānshǐ gēchàng zài gāo tiān, měimiào gēshēng biàn píngyuán, 四周山嶺發回聲，響應天使歡樂音。 Sìzhōu shānlǐng fā huíshēng, xiǎngyìng tiānshǐ huānlè yīn.Chorus:
榮耀，榮耀歸於至高真神！ Róngyào, róngyào guīyú zhìgāo zhēnshén! 榮耀，榮耀歸於至高真神！ Róngyào, róngyào guīyú zhìgāo zhēnshén! 牧人有何大喜悅，快樂歌聲不休歇？ Mùrén yǒu hé dà xǐyuè, kuàilè gēshēng bù xiūxiē? 有何喜訊感心弦，齊發歌聲美難言？ Yǒu hé xǐxùn gǎn xīnxián, qí fā gēshēng měi nán yán?Chorus