Twelve Days of Christmas

Day 4 - Leise rieselt der Schnee

Leise rieselt der Schnee (Softly falls the snow) is one of the most famous Christmas songs in the German language. It was composed in 1895 in Graudenz by the Protestant pastor Eduard Ebel (1839–1905) and published under the title Weihnachtsgruß (Christmas Greeting) in his volume Gesammelte Gedichte (Collected Poems). The composition of the melody is also often attributed to Ebel, but this is uncertain, since Ebel's own publication contains only the text. According to other sources, the melody is a folk tune, which Ebel himself possibly adopted for his poem.

Leise rieselt der Schnee

Leise rieselt der Schnee,
   Softly falls the snow,
Still und starr liegt der See,
   Quiet and frozen rests the lake.
Weihnachtlich glänzet der Wald:
   Christmas-like sparkles the forest:
Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald.
   Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here.

In den Herzen ist’s warm,
   In our hearts it’s warm,
Still schweigt Kummer und Harm,
   Silent are sorrow and grief,
Sorge des Lebens verhallt:
   Life’s worries fade away:
Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald.
   Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here.

Bald ist heilige Nacht;
   Soon it’s Christmas Eve,
Chor der Engel erwacht;
   Choir of angels awakes,
Horch’ nur, wie lieblich es schallt:
   Just hear how lovely it sounds:
Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald.
   Rejoice! The Christ Child will soon be here. 

Leise rieselt der Schnee - Die Wiener Sängerknaben

Leise rieselt der Schnee - Helene Fischer

Leise rieselt der Schnee - Die Hollerstauden EvaVeraEva