In dulci jubilo singet und sit vro. [Christmas.] This hymn is a macaronic, partly Latin and partly German. It was a great favourite in Germany till comparatively recent times. It has been often ascribed to Peter of Dresden, who died cir. 1440, but is certainly older. Wackernagel, ii. pp. 483-486, gives 8 versions, varying from 3 to 7 stanzas of 8 lines. (See Hoffmann von Fallersleben’s monograph In dulci jubilo, Hannover, 1861, p. 46.)
The translations are, (1) "In dulci jubilo, now let us sing with mirth and jo," in 3 stanzas (as in the Psaltes Ecclcsiasticus, Mainz, 1550), in the Gude and Godly Ballates, ed. 1568, f. 28 (1868, p. 47). (2) "Let Jubil trumpets blow, and hearts in rapture flow," in 4 stanzas (as in Klug's Gesang-Buch Wittenberg, 1529), in Lyra Davidica, 1708, p. 7. (3) "In dulci jubilo—to the house of God we'll go" (as in Klug, 15&), by Sir J. Bowring, in his Hymns, 1825, No. 21. (4) “In dulci jubilo, sing and shout, all below," in 4 stanzas (as in a Breslau 15th cent.ury manuscript by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 94. (5) "In dulci jubilo, Let us our homage shew," by R. L. de Pearsall, first in the Musical Times, and then in Novello's Part Song Book, 2nd Series, vol. x., 1887, No. 296 (as in Klug, 1529).
It has also passed into English through a recast (from the text of Klug, 1529), entirely in German, which begins Nun singet und seid froh. This is in 4 stanzas, and was first published in the Hannover Gesang-Buch, 1646, p. 222, and has been repeated in many subsequent collections as in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder ed., 1863, No. 174.
Translated as "Now sing we, now rejoice," a good and full translation by A. T. Russell, as No 48 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. Another translation is, "We all indeed were perish'd," a translation of stanza iii., as No. 302 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
My Starred Hymns
My FlexScores
My Hymnals
My Purchased Files
