Latin/Christmas Carols

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Salvēte omnēs! A little break from the work of studying Latin this time, but of course if you want to review any of the previous lessons, you can reach them on the right.

For a Christmas lesson Latin has it covered with some of the most beautiful music in the world. Some of the carols are quite familiar, and some not. We won’t give translations here, but the first two have been translated into English and are commonly available. And we have a Youtube link for each one so you can link to versions of each song. You might want to check out other versions available for each carol, because there is quite a range of interpretations. Not just in the musicality, but you can hear Latin with American, German, British, Italian, and Polish accents, and probably many more.

Adeste Fideles[edit | edit source]

Adeste Fideles on Youtube

Adeste fideles læti triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte
Regem angelorum:
(Refrain) Venite adoremus (3×)
Dominum.

Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine
Gestant puellæ viscera
Deum verum, genitum non factum.

Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum;
Cantet nunc aula cælestium,
Gloria, gloria in excelsis Deo,

Ergo qui natus die hodierna.
Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Patris æterni Verbum caro factum.

Veni Veni Emmanuel[edit | edit source]

Veni Veni Emmanuel on Youtube

Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio,
(Refrain) Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium,
Veni, Redemptor omnium,
Ut salves tuos famulos Peccati sibi conscios.

Veni, veni o Oriens!
Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas,
Dirasque noctis tenebras

Veni clavis Davidica!
Regna reclude coelica,
Fac iter Tutum superum,
Et claude vias Inferum.

Veni o Jesse virgula!
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De specu tuos tartari
Educ, et antro barathri.

Veni, veni Adonai!
Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice,
In maiestate gloriae.

Veni, O Sapientia,
Quae hic disponis omnia,
Veni, viam prudentiae
Ut doceas et gloriae.

Gaudete![edit | edit source]

Gaudete on Youtube

Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus
Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!

Tempus adest gratiæ
Hoc quod optabamus,
Carmina lætitiæ
Devote reddamus.

Deus homo factus est
Natura mirante,
Mundus renovatus est
A Christo regnante.

Ezechielis porta
Clausa pertransitur,
Unde lux est orta
Salus invenitur.

Ergo nostra concio
Psallat iam in lustro;
Benedicat Domino:

Salus Regi nostro.

Resonet in Laudibus[edit | edit source]

Resonet in Laudibus on Youtube

Resonet in Laudibus

cum jucundis plausibus
Sion cum fidelibus
Apparuit quem genuit Maria.

Sion, lauda Dominum,
Savatorem omnium,
Virgo parit Filium.
Apparuit quem genuit Maria.

Pueri concurrite,
Nato regi psallite
Voce piā dicite
Apparuit quem genuit Maria.

Natus est Emmanuel,
Quem praedixit Gabriel.
Testis est Ezechiel,

Apparuit quem genuit Maria.

There are so many more beautiful songs in Latin, but this is just to get you started. I'll be back sometime after the New Year with more Latin lessons. Gaudēte!