God Is Born
God Is Born | |
---|---|
Polish Christmas carol | |
Lyrics | Franciszek Karpiński |
Composer | unknown |
Written | 1792 |
"Bóg się rodzi" (English: "God Is Born", Polish pronunciation:
The carol was published for the first time in a compilation of Karpiński's works entitled Pieśni nabożne (Songs of Piety) in 1792.
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
"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
- Pasterka culmination of Christmas in Poland
- List of Christmas carols
- Christmas music
- Hymn (song of praise)
- Kolęda(also known as Koliada in Slavic Europe)
References
- ^ "Franciszek Karpiński at Polish Book Institute". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- Staufer: Christmas Carols from Poland
- Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Instytut Muzykologii, Polish songs performing national anthem function Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Waldemar Smaszcz, A komuż, jak nie Ewie Lipskiej, Civitas Christiana". Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
- ^ Jerzy Snopek, author of Oswiecenie. Szkic do portretu epoki, (Warsaw, 1999): Polish Literature of Enlightenment Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hymn About the Birth of the Lord - analysis and interpretation
- ^ Spirit of Suprasl
- ^ Radio Bialystok[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Stanislaw Cieslak, Religiosity in Polish Literature". Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Polish Literature of Enlightenment Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Christmas carols have shaped our history", Pope John Paul II
- ^ Christmas Eve in Auschwitz as Recalled by Polish Prisoners. Internet Archive.
- Polish lyrics of "Bóg się rodzi" along with phonetic spelling at Hymns, Gospel & Spirituals. Retrieved December 21, 2012.