God Is Born

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"Bóg się rodzi"
God Is Born
Nativity scene of Poland. Crib in Katowice
Polish Christmas carol
LyricsFranciszek Karpiński
Composerunknown
Written1792

"Bóg się rodzi" (English: "God Is Born", Polish pronunciation:

Stefan Batory in the 16th century. The carol is regarded by some as the National Christmas hymn of Poland,[2] and, for a short time, it was also considered a national anthem, for instance by poet Jan Lechoń.[3][4] It has also been called "one of the most beloved Polish Christmas carols".[5]

The carol was published for the first time in a compilation of Karpiński's works entitled Pieśni nabożne (Songs of Piety) in 1792.

Basilian monks printing shop in Supraśl.[7] However, the hymn had been publicly presented already a few years earlier, in the Old Basilica in Białystok, as Karpiński lived in Białystok's Branicki Palace in the years from 1785 to 1818.[8] First presentation of the carol is now commemorated by a tablet, located on the wall of the church. The tablet reads: In this church, for the first time ever, Songs of Piety by Franciszek Karpiński were performed. The original title of the carol is Pieśń o Narodzeniu Pańskim (On God's Nativity[9] or Song of the birth of our Lord[10]
).

Structure

The carol consists of five verses, each verse with eight lines, and each line with eight syllables. The hymn can be characterized as a

Baby Jesus
(Raise Your hand now, Child of Glory, bless our homeland now and ever).

"Bóg się rodzi" was the carol on which Pope John Paul II based his talk during the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings on 23 December 1996 at the Paul VI Auditorium.[11] The Pope cited the words of the hymn saying, "The poet presented the mystery of the Incarnation of God's Son, using contrasts to express what is essential to the mystery: in assuming human nature, the infinite God at the same time assumed the limitations of a creature".

The hymn has been performed by several popular Polish artists, including Anna Maria Jopek, Violetta Villas, Michał Bajor, Krzysztof Krawczyk and Eleni Tzoka. It was sung by Polish prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp; an account by an inmate named Jozef Jedrych, kept in the Auschwitz Museum collections, describes how "the singing of German carols began, and then like the waves of the sea came the powerful words [from a Polish carol] ‘God is born, the powers tremble’."[12]

In popular culture

An instrumental rendition of this song is featured in the "Brave New World" expansion pack of Civilization V. It is the theme of the Polish civilization, which is led by Casimir III.

Text

Original Polish, and English translation. https://www.tekstowo.pl/piosenka,koleda,bog_sie_rodzi.html

See also

References

  1. ^ "Franciszek Karpiński at Polish Book Institute". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  2. ^ "Waldemar Smaszcz, A komuż, jak nie Ewie Lipskiej, Civitas Christiana". Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  3. ^ Jerzy Snopek, author of Oswiecenie. Szkic do portretu epoki, (Warsaw, 1999): Polish Literature of Enlightenment Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Hymn About the Birth of the Lord - analysis and interpretation
  5. ^ Spirit of Suprasl
  6. ^ Radio Bialystok[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Stanislaw Cieslak, Religiosity in Polish Literature". Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  8. ^ Polish Literature of Enlightenment Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Christmas carols have shaped our history", Pope John Paul II
  10. ^ Christmas Eve in Auschwitz as Recalled by Polish Prisoners. Internet Archive.