Joseph Mohr

Joseph Mohr
www.hymntime.com/tch
Short Name: Joseph Mohr
Full Name: Mohr, Joseph, 1792-1848
Birth Year: 1792
Death Year: 1848

Joseph Mohr was born into a humble family–his mother was a seamstress and his father, an army musketeer. A choirboy in Salzburg Cathedral as a youth, Mohr studied at Salzburg University and was ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1815. Mohr was a priest in various churches near Salzburg, including St. Nicholas Church. He spent his later years in Hintersee and Wagrein.

Bert Polman

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Mohr, Joseph, was born at Salzburg, Austria, on Dec. 11, 1792. After being ordained priest on Aug. 21, 1815, by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, he was successively assistant at Ramsau and at Laufen; then coadjutor at Kuchl, at Golling, at Vigaun, at Adnet, and at Authering; then Vicar-Substitute at Hof and at Hintersee--all in the diocese of Salzburg. In 1828 he was appointed Vicar at Hintersee, and in 1837 at Wagrein, near St. Johann. He died at Wagrein, Dec. 4, 1848. The only hymn by him translated into English is:—
Stille Nacht! heilige Nacht! Christmas. This pretty little carol was written for Christmas, 1818, while Mohr was assistant clergyman at Laufen, on the Salza, near Salzburg, and was set to music (as in the Garland of Songs) by Franz Gruber, then schoolmaster at the neighbouring village of Arnsdorf (b. Nov. 25, 1787, at Hochburg near Linz, died June 7, 1863, as organist at Hallein, near Salzburg). What is apparently the original form is given by 0. Kraus, 1879, p. 608, in 3 stanzas of 6 lines, and in Dr. Wichern's Unsere Lieder, Hamburg, 1844, No. 111. Another form, also in 3 stanzas of 6 lines, is in T. Fliedner's Lieder-Buch für Kleinkinder-Schulen, Kaiserswerth, 1842, No. 115, and the Evangelical Kinder Gesang-Buch, Basel, 1867. The translations are from the text of 1844.
1. Holy night! peaceful night! All is dark. By Miss J. M. Campbell in C. S. Bere's Garland of Songs, 1863, and thence in Hymns & Carols, London, 1871.
2. Silent night! hallowed night. Land and deep. This is No. 131 in the Christian Hymn Book, Cincinnati, 1865. It is suggested by, rather than a translation of the German.
3. Holy night! peaceful night! Through the darkness. This is No. 8 in J. Barnby's Original Tunes to Popular Hymns, Novello, N. D., 1869; repeated in Laudes Domini, N.Y., 1884, No. 340.
4. Silent night! holy night! All is calm. This is in C. L. Hutchins's Sunday School Hymnal, 1871 (1878, p. 198), and the Sunday School Hymn Book of the Gen. Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1873, No. 65.
5. Peaceful night, all things sleep. This is No. 17, in Carols for St Stephen's Church, Kirkstall, Leeds, 1872.
6. Silent night, holiest night. All asleep. By Dr. A. Edersheim, in the Sunday at Home, Dec. 18, 1875, repeated in the Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, No. 35.
7. Silent night! holy night! Slumber reigns. By W. T. Matson, as No. 132, in Dr. Allon's Children's Worship, 1878.
8. Still the night, holy the night! Sleeps the world. By Stopford A. Brooke, in his Christian Hymns, 1881, No. 55.
Translations not in common use:--

(1) "Stilly night, Holy night, Silent stars," by Miss E. E. S. Elliott, privately printed for the choir of St. Mark's, Brighton, about 1858, but first published in the Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor, 1871, p. 198. Also in her Tune Book for Under the Pillow, 1880. (2) "Holy night! calmly bright," by Mary D. Moultrie in Hymns & Lyrics by Gerard Moultrie, 1867, p. 42. (3) "Silent night, holiest night! Moonbeams," by C. T. Brooks, In his Poems, Boston, U. S., 1885, p. 218.

[Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Mohr, Joseph, p. 760, ii. The translation "Stilly night, starry and bright," in Farmer's Glees & Songs for High Schools, 1881, p. 36, is by Archdeacon Farrar.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Texts by Joseph Mohr (76)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
Alina masinaJ. Mohr (Author)Malagasy2
Astro del ciel, Pargol divinJoseph Mohr (Author)Italian2
Belle nuit, sainte nuitJ. Mohr (Author)French2
Busuku obuhleJoseph Mohr (Author)Zulu2
Busuku obungeweleJoseph Mohr (Author)Xhosa2
Cicha noc, święta nocJoseph Mohr (Author)Polish3
Cicha noc! W górze skryzJoseph Mohr (Author)Polish2
Csendes az éjJoseph Mohr (Author)Hungarian2
Csendes éj! Tiszta, szent éj!Joseph Mohr (Author)Hungarian2
Cusisiña suma jayp’uJoseph Mohr (Author)Aymara2
Đêm tháng vô cùngJoseph Mohr (Author)Vietnamese2
Đêm thánh vô cùng Giây, phút tưng bừng (Silent night! Holy night!)Joseph Mohr (Author)English, Vietnamese2
Gau ixilla, gau doneaJoseph Mohr (Author)Basque2
Glade jul, dejlige julJoseph Mohr (Author)Danish2
Glade Jul, heillige JulJoseph Mohr (Author)Norwegian2
Gleðilig jól! Gleðilig jól!Josef Mohr (Author)Faroese2
고요한 밤 거룩한 밤 어둠에 묻힌 밤 (Goyohan bam geolughan bam eodum-e mudhin bam)Joseph Mohr (Author)Korean2
Hanhepi wakan kin!Joseph Mohr (Author)Dakota1
Heims um ból helg eru jólJosef Mohr (Author)Icelandic2
Holy night, peaceful nightJoseph Mohr, (1792-1848) (Author)English107
Holy Spirit, hear us, On this sacred dayJoseph Mohr (Author)English25
Jouluyö! Juhlayö!Joseph Mohr (Author)Finnish2
खामोश है रात, बखत है रात (Khaamosh hai raat, bakhat hai raat)Joseph Mohr (Author)Hindi2
Klusa nakts, svēta nakts!Joseph Mohr (Author)Latvian2
Kwa usiku wa zamani, yote kimya, takatifu.Joseph Mohr (Author)Swahili2
לָיְלָה שַׁלֵב, לָיְלָה קָדוֹשׁ (Lailah shalev, lailah kadosh)Joseph Mohr (Author)Hebrew2
Լուռ գիշեր սուրբ գիշերJosef Mohr (Author)Armenian2
ليلة ليلة يا لها بهجةJoseph Mohr (Author)Arabic1
Malam kudus, sunyi senyapJosef Mohr (Author)Indonesian2
Mihainoa! Mihainoa!J. Mohr (Author)Malagasy1
Nasantoan a rabiiJoseph Mohr (Author)Tagalog2
Natanaw na sa SilanganJoseph Mohr (Author)Tagalog2
Natë e shenjtë! Natë e qetë!Joseph Mohr (Author)Albanian2
Noche de luz, noche de pazJoseph Mohr, 1792-1848 (Author)Spanish2
Noche de paz, noche de amorJoseph Mohr (Author)Spanish25
Noite de paz! Noite de amor!Joseph Mohr (Author)Portuguese2
Nuit pèzib, nuit se santJosef Mohr (Author)Haitian Creole2
ஓசையில்லா, தூய இரா (Ōcaiyillā, tūya irā)Joseph Mohr (Author)Tamil2
Pavetaa'evȧ nėhe'xovevaJoseph Mohr (Based on)Cheyenne2
平安夜, 圣善夜Joseph Mohr (Author)Chinese2
Pola'i e, ihiihi eRev. Joseph Mohr (Author)Hawaiian2
Polai e, Pokamaha'oJoseph Mohr, 1792-1848 (Author)Hawaiian2
Püha öö, õnnistud öö!Josef Mohr (Author)Estonian2
清し この夜 (Kiyoshi kono yoru)Joseph Mohr (Author)Japanese2
Sakin gece! Kutsal gece!Joseph Mohr (Author)Turkish2
Silent night, hallowed night, land and deep silent sleepJoseph Mohr (Author)English4
Silent night! hallowed night! Earth is hushed, heaven alight!Joseph Mohr (Author)English3
Silent night, holiest night, all is calm, all is brightJoseph Mohr (Author)English4
Silent night, holy night, All is dark, save the lightRev. Joseph Mohr (Author)English66
Silent night, holy night, Golden stars shed their lightJoseph Mohr (Author)English2
Silent night! Holy night! Heaven is near, earth is brightJ. Mohr, 1792-1848 (Author)Englsih2
Silent night! holy night! Sleeps the world; hid from sightJoseph Mohr, 1792-1848 (Author)English3
Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is brightJoseph Mohr (Author)English547
Silent night, holy night, all is held in slumber's mightJoseph Mohr (Author)English1
Silent night, Holy night, David's son, Lord of lightJoseph Mohr (Author)2
Silent night, holy night, Nature deep, silence keepsJoseph Mohr (Author)English1
Silent night, holy night, see the starJoseph Mohr (Author)3
Silent night! Holy night! Slumber reigns! Naught in sightRev. Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848 (Author)English4
Silent night! Peaceful night! Darkness flies, all is lightRev. Joseph Mohr (Author)English2
Silent night, peaceful night! All things sleep, shepherds keepJoseph Mohr (Author)English12
Silent night, sacred night, Bethlehem sleeps yet what lightJoseph Mohr (Author)English15
Still the night, holy the nightJoseph Mohr (1792-1848) (Author)English7
Stilla natt, heliga natt, Allt är frid, stjärnan blidJoseph Mohr (Author)Swedish2
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Alles schlaft, einsam wachtJoseph Mohr (Author)German68
Stille nacht, Heilige nacht, David's zoon lang verwachtJoseph Mohr (Author)Dutch2
Stille nag heilige nagJoseph Mohr (Author)Afrikaans2
Tawel nos dros y byd,Joseph Mohr (Author)Welsh2
Tiha noć, sveta noć!Joseph Mohr (Author)Serbo-Croatian2
Тиха нощ! Свята нощ!Joseph Mohr (Author)Bulgarian2
Тихая ночь, дивная ночь! (Tikhaya noch', divnaya noch')Josef Mohr (Author)Russian3
Tudo é paz! Tudo amor!Joseph Mohr (Author)Portuguese3
Usiku mtakatifuJoseph Mohr (Author)Swahili2
Voici Noël!, O douce nuit!Joseph Mohr (Author)French2
ยามราตรี ศรีหรรษา มีราชามาประสูติ (Yām rātrī ṣ̄rī h̄rrs̄ʹā mī rāchā mā pras̄ūti)Josef Mohr (Author)Thai2
عيد الليل زهر الليلJoseph Mohr (Author)Arabic2
Zanena, SikukuuJoseph Mohr (Author)Swahili2

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