Christmas carols are part of our cultural heritage and informal singing gatherings inspired by the miracle of the birth of Jesus are still very popular. It is no wonder, however, that Christmas songs are also translated to suit cultural norms. Join us on a musical journey that explores Christmas fathers, the ‘Silent Night’ that isn’t one in Spain and Native Americans who composed Canada’s best-known Christmas carol.
One of the controversial musical legacies of the great George Michael and his group Wham! is undoubtedly his song “Last Christmas.” During the weeks around Christmas, the song is played thousands of times on radio stations all over the world, from early to late and, above all, until listeners are literally worn out. “Last Christmas” is the tinsel of the Christmas season expressed in musical form. However, it could all have turned out differently. That’s because George Michael allegedly didn't write the song for Christmas. The original version of the song is called “Last Easter” and was simply a yearning love song. But Michael’s record company urgently needed a catchy tune for Christmas, so the lyrics were quickly rewritten. The fact that the song may address deep emotions but remains limited in terms of content becomes clear when you look at the lyrics: “Once bitten and twice shy / I keep my distance / but you still catch my eye / Tell me baby, do you recognize me?” Attentive listeners will also recognize that the plot of the song, a story of heartbreaking separation, takes place rather coincidentally at Christmas given the absence of expected references to snow, Christmas trees, or even Santa Claus.
The lyrics of most of the 8,355 traditional Christmas carols documented by the Styrian Folk Song Archive in Graz, Austria, frequently contain words such as “Jesus”, “Christ Child”, “Christmas tree”, “little bells” or “snow.”
Translation for other cultures
Depending on the cultural context, however, Christmas carols are also heavily modified when translated, to encourage a greater sense of identification. Take the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as an example. In the Japanese translation, some of the gifts mentioned in the lyrics are changed to be more compatible with Japanese culture. The “five golden rings” in the original version become “five golden bells” instead.
Santa Claus is not Italian
Although Italian children may be much less familiar with the figure of Santa Claus than their peers in Anglo-Saxon countries, the Italian translators came up with a more or less elegant solution for the song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Santa Claus becomes “Father Christmas” and the song title in Italian is “Babbo Natale sta arrivando in città.” One of the most famous Christmas carols of all, “Silent Night, Holy Night,” is also translated very freely in Italy, where it takes on a more astronomical dimension. Whereas the original English title remains virtually untouched as “Silent Night, Holy Night,” the song in Italian becomes “Astro del ciel,” which translates as “Star of the Sky.”
Silent Night, Holy Night freely translated
However, some lines of “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” in the English translation stray considerably from the German original. Listen closely to the second line: no one is sleeping and no one is awake as they are in the German version. Instead, the line goes: “All is calm, all is bright.” In Spain, too, the song has less to do with sleep, and the translation becomes almost passionate. The title of the song there is “Noche de paz, noche de amor,” which means “Night of peace, night of love.”
Canada’s oldest Christmas carol
Of course, the impact of “Silent Night, Holy Night” also derives from its Alpine origins, where it is beautifully set in the scenery of the Austrian Alps. The comparative popularity of the German language, which is spoken by millions of people and in which the song was originally written, probably also gave it a certain head start. On the other hand, “Jesous Ahatonhia” (“Jesus is born”) faced a more difficult challenge. The song was originally written in Wendat, the language of the Canadian Wendat or Huron tribe. It is only spoken by a few tens of thousands of people. Composed in the 17th century, it is the oldest Canadian Christmas carol and today one of the most popular in Canada and further afield. Christmas carols sometimes also become protest songs. Listen to the opening bars of “Oh, Du Fröhliche.” And then listen to the protest song “We Shall Overcome.” Does anything sound familiar? Yes, exactly! The melody is the same. And, somehow, so too is the message.
Find out more about international Christmas traditions and how Christmas is celebrated around the world.
