The beauty of language

This evening (Sunday 23rd December) was the annual "festival of nine lessons and carols" at Holy Trinity church in Jersey.

The Church was packed, the choir and congregation were in great voice and one got the sense that it was a wonderful community event. Community! such an old fashioned word in today's highly mobile society.

What though was it that made this service such a wonderful event? For me it was the language - the readings were mostly taken from the King James bible which turns the English language into an art form. The opening lesson from Genesis3: 8-15 with Adam complaining that "the serpent beguiled me"- What if instead of beguiled, the word "tricked" or "deceived" were used in its place? No sometimes the beauty of the English language is that we have a word when used in its correct context adds so much to the imagery and immensity of the occasion.

The language though that I wish I had learnt at school is Latin - the choir sang two pieces with Latin titles - "In Dulcie Jubilo" and "Laudamus Te "; it's so frustrating when you don't know what these titles mean so with apologies to all Latin scholars this is what I came up with from the dictionary: "Good Christian men rejoice" - incidentally there appears to be no "e" on the word "dulci" but I stand corrected.

As for "Laudamus Te", it appears to be a shortened version of the full sentence "Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur", which translates to "O God, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord." - a few words that mean such a lot.

The one hymn that I felt could be improved by not being sung in English though is "Silent night, Holy night", I've always thought that the German language gets across the magic of this hymn, not that I have much knowledge of the German language , I think it's just the sound. For the record here is the hymn translated:

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!

Silent night, holy night
All is calm all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

It's a difficult decision for a Church in Jersey to sing a hymn in German on such an auspicious occasion given the history of what happened nearly 70 years ago, but surely that's what Christianity is all about forgiveness - I hope that one day we'll have the priviledge of hearing this wonderful hymn sung in what traditionally isn't a language particularly renowned for its beauty.

Now we move on to Christmas, and I wish all those who read my blog a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year