Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 15:33:43 -0500
From: BarMusProd(a)aol.com
Subject: Compilation: Silent Night In Spanish (VERY LONG)

Dear Friends,

Here is my compilation of the many wonderful postings to me regarding "Silent
Night" in Spanish. As of Monday morning, there are actually four different
submitted versions, and there are variants within the first two versions as
well.

Below, I will list the first verse of each version with each line numbered,
the variants within each version with corresponding line numbers, any
additional verses (and variants of these), and finally the names of those
kind people who submitted each version and variant, and any notes that they
included.

Version One:
1 No-che de Paz, no-che de_A-mor,
2 cla-ro sol bri-lla ya
3 y los an-ge-les can-tan-do_es-tan:
4 glo-ria_a Dios, glo-ria_al Rey e-ter-nal.
5 Duer-me_el ni-no Je-sus,
6 duer-me el ni-no Jesus.
(Syllables and vowel elisions courtesy of Julio Dominguez of Spain)

Variants for Version 1:
For line 4 glo-ria_a Dios, glo-ria_al Rey ce-les-tial. (From Julio Dominguez
of Spain)

Second Verse for Version 1:
1 Noche de amor, Noche de paz
2 de esplendor sin igual
3 dulce y placida noche inmortal
4 que nos llena de felicidad
5 porque nace Jesus
6 en esta noche de paz.
(from Angel Olmos[?], SysOp Discantus MO)

Notes for Verse 1 of Version 1:
>In Spain these lyrics are 'popular' and to sing them by every body... but
are not a translation of Silent Night. :-??>I am Osvaldo , from Ecuador.
That Sweet Xmas song is well translated. Silent Night does not
exactly mean "Noche de Paz" , but for that song is used that way.
It is correctly used. We song it every Xmas.
If you are going to say Nino, the tilde over the second
"n" must be said : "nio" so pronunciation is "Ninio".(Ecuador)

Julio Dominguez (Spain), Osvaldo Suarez (Ecuador) via Pat, Angel Olmos(?)
(US)

Version 2:
1 No-che de paz, no-che de_amor.
2 To-do duerme_en de-rre-dor.
3 En-tre los as-tros que_esparcen su luz,
4 Bel-la,_anunciando_al Ni-ni-to Je-sus.
5 Bri-lla la_es-tre-lla de paz.
6 Bri-lla la_es-trel-la de paz.
(Syllables and elisions from Laura Swatzendruber from her "old" 5th grade
music book)

Variants for Version 2:
2 todo duerme_en rededor (From Lynne Bradley of US) AND
4 viene_anunciando_el Ninito Jesus. (From Barbara of Argentina) OR
4 viene_anunciando_al Nino Jesus (From Jerry McCoy of US as set by Cesar
Carillo of Venezuela, and Lynne Bradley of US) OR
4 viene_anunciando_al Ninito Jesus. (From Lynne Ewen of US

Second (and Third) Verses for Version 2:
Verse 2
1 Noche de paz, noche de amor!
2 Oye humilde en fiel pastor,
3 Coros celestes que anuncian salud,
4 Gracias y glorias en gran plenitud,
5 Por nuestro buen Redentor,
6 Por nuestro buen Redentor.
Verse 3
1 Noche de paz, noche de amor!
2 Ved qui bello resplandor
3 Luce en el rostro del nino Jesus,
4 En el pesebre, del mundo la luz,
5 Astro de eterno fulgor,
6 Astro de eterno fulgor.
(From Randy Marble [US], all verses taken from _Himnario Bautista_ No. 58)

Alternate Verse 2
1 Noche de paz, noche de amor
2 todo duerme en derredor.
3 Sobre el Santo Ninito Jesus.
4 una estrella esparce su luz.
5 Brilla sobre el Rey,
6 brilla sobre el rey.
(From Lynne Ewen, Spanish teacher from US, taken from her textbook _Pasos y
Puentes_. But she says of verses 1 and 2 of Version 2: >Our textbook has
these words..., but I've never heard them before.from Lynne Bradley from US, in a variant form below)

Variants to Alternate Verse 2:
2 todo duerme en rededor. AND
3 Sobre el Santo Nino Jesus. (Both Variants from Lynne Bradley of US)

Notes for Verse 1 of Version 2:
>If the song needed is the one that I know, the Spanish lyrics are:Escalada (Argentina)
>I hope this translation will be fine to you. Here in Argentine,
that's the way we sing this Carol.>If you need to know where they divide syllables with notes, let me know.Randy Marble (US)
!Yes, Randy, please do both syllabification and elision of vowels for the
three verses!
>This is the version I learned as a child, so it must be right!Swartzendruber (US)

Oscar Escalada (Argentina), Barbara (Argentina), Randy Marble (US), Jan
Shearer (US), Laura Swartzendruber (US), Lynne Ewen (US), Lynne Bradley (US)

Version 2.5 (A Variant of Version 2)
1 Noche de paz, noche de amor
2 todo duerme en derredor
3 entre los campos se esparce su luz
4 viene anunciando al nino Jesus
5 Brilla la estrella de paz
6 brilla la estrella de paz

Notes for Version 2.5:
>I think this could be a better translation (or a better spanish version)...
There are other lines, but these are the best known (if you need them,
please let me know).
Luis Andres Yarzabal Rodriguez (Venezuela)

Version 3:
1 Noche de Paz, Noche de Amor
2 Todo duerme en rededor.
3 Solo suenan en la_oscuridad,
4 Harmonias de felicidad.
5 Harmonias de Paz.
6 Harmonias de Paz

Notes for Version 3:
>I didn't see your original requests, but I teach Spanish and here are the
only words that I know:
Thanks for Version 3 to:
Lynne Ewen (US)

!And Finally!
Version 4
1 Noche de paz, noche de amor
2 Todo duerme alderedor (not sure if "alderedor" is one word or more)
3 Las estrellas esplenden su luz
4 Porque ha nacido el ninito Jesus
5 Las estrellas esplenden
6 Porque he nacido Jesus

Notes for Version 4:
>Here's what I remember learning from my Jr. High Spanish teacher. (And I'm
pretty impressed with myself that I remember it - Jr. High was a LONG time
ago!)
Thanks for Version 4 to:
Florence Moyer (US)

Other notes from other e-mail:
>I know of a "new" (last year) arrangement by Leo Nestor, which has set the
lyrics in Spanish for one verse. Sorry Icannot locate my copy, but perhaps
that would give you a lead. Leo is the Director of Music at the Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, in Washington D.C. My bet is they would have a
web page????
>should be in the 1989 Methodist hymnal
In my failing original efforts to make Version 1 fit the melody I know, Frank
albinder of chanticleer wrote:
>I don't have the lyrics in Spanish, but I was able to make it fit the notes
pretty easily. I can call you and sing it to you if you want!Thanks, Frank. I couldn't make it work.

But to my rescue before I called, the wonderful Nina Gilbert who figured out
the correct vowel elisions (my problem was trying to sing "Dios" as two
syllables-it needs to be sung as only one syllable. I guess if G-d can be
"Three-in-one" on Latin or English, than he/she certainly can be "Two-in-one"
in Spanish ;-D .

Here are Nina's suggestions for that troublesome line:
>>gloria a Dios, gloria al Rey Eternal.

>I don't know Spanish, but try scanning "Dios" as one syllable, like in "Riu
riu chiu."

Here are three typings of that -- one might make visual sense with whatever
font you read e-mail in:

[non-proportional -- this lines up in "Courier"]
Round yon Vir- (ir) - gin, Moth - er and Child
Glor- ia a Dios, Glor- ia al Rey E- ter- nal


[this lines up in "Geneva," which is what I used to read AOL in]
Round yon Vir- (ir) - gin, Moth - er
Glor- ia a Dios, Glor- ia al Rey E-
and Child
ter nal

[and this lines up in "Times," I think]
Round yon Vir- (ir) - gin, Moth - er
Glor- ia a Dios, Glor- ia al Rey
and Child
E- ter nal
Nina also sent my request to a Spanish-Prof friend who said the following
regarding Version 1:
>There's something amiss in the Silent Noche you sent. Some of it won't
>scan, and the rhyme scheme is off in places. I'll see if I can find a
>version for you tomorrow, but I do remember the beginning:
>
>Noche de paz,
>noche de amor,
>todos duermen
>en derredor...
>
>The "claro sol" makes no sense with "noche."
>
>Spanish poetry goes by syllable count --backwards-- always from the last
>stressed syllable + one. This is confusing to the English-speaking ear
>when the line ends in a single stressed syllable followed by nothing (as
>in "... paz," but the Spanish ear hears a beat after that. Likewise,
>when the line ends in a stressed syllable + 2 ("la'grima"), the last two
>are consided one, poetically. Like -.. "Noche de paz" has 5 poetic
>syllables and so does "noche de amor." Two adjacent weak vowels or one
>weak, one strong ellide making one. There are all sorts of rhyme
>schemes, but the most common is rhyme in the even lines, as above.awaiting his verions of the lyrics.

So, if you've stayed with this letter this long, how to sum up? It looks as
if there are two common versions in the Spanish-speaking nations-neither
seems to be "the" definitive version and/or translation in Spanish; and they
all will work (you just have to shove the vowels around a bit).

What I'd like to know from my new friends in Spain and Latin America is:
1. If you sent in Version 1 or Version 2 as the one that you sing in your
home country, are you aware of the other version(s)?
2. Do you sing the other version(s) as well?
3. Are any of the variants used (and are they in correct Spanish)?
4. Since Versions 3 and 4 are from U.S. sources, do you know of them at all?
5. Does anyone sing Versions 3 or 4 in your home country?

Again, I had no idea that this would become an lengthy essay. I thank
everyone who was kind enough to take the time to help and respond to my
request. If I receive answers to the above questions, I will post them in a
further compilation. I have tried to be as meticulous as possible in
crediting those who were so helpful. I haven't taken in mail since early this
Tuesday morning (I've been doing this compilation since then with a few
"real-world" interruptions), so if you submitted something after that, I
probably haven't seen it yet. I sincerely hope that I haven't forgotten
somebody, or spelled your name or country wrong, or credited you with
something incorrectly. If I have, please forgive me and accept my apologies.

Thank you all very much. I hope that some of you, whether you have been
following this thread or not, may find the information in this letter useful
or at least interesting.

Happy Holidays!
Steve

Steve Barnett
Composer/Arranger/Producer
Barnett Music Productions
BarMusProd(a)aol.com

---

Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 16:15:41 -0500
From: BarMusProd(a)aol.com
Subject: Compilation Silent Night In Spanish Addendum

Dear Friends,

I was going to wait a few days to see if there would be a response to my
questions that I asked at the end of my lengthy compilation letter. But in
the e-mail that I received back when I sent my letter, was a correction from
Luis Andres Yarzabal Rodriguez of Venezuela, whose original posting to me
formed what I called Version 2.5, a significant variant of Version 2.

His new letter also included second and third verses that I had not seen
before. I felt that it was important enough to resend his letter to the List
in its entirety early. It will also be included in my (final?) compilation
later on.

Here is Andres's letter:
>Hi Steve!

Yesterday I send you a message with the lyrics of Noche de paz,noche de
amor. I must apologize for a little mistake ("entre los campos se esparce
su luz" instead of "entre los astors que esparcen su luz"). Here is the
full version:

Noche de paz, noche de amor
todo duerme en derredor
entre los astros que esparcen su luz
viene anunciando al nino Jesus
brilla la estrella de paz
brilla la estrelal de paz

Noche de paz, noche de amor
en los campos al pastor
coros celestes proclaman salud
gracias y glorias en su plenitud
por nuestro buen redentor
por nuestro buen redentor

Noche de paz, noche de amor
contemplad el resplandor
de esta estrella caida en Belen
que a los Reyes les muestra su Rey
astro de eterno fulgor
astro de eterno fulgor.

This is the "venezuelan" version of this traditional song. I hope this
could be of help. (By the way: I agree with you when you say that it is
wonderful to be connected so quickly and with so many people around the
world...!) Bye and keep in touch!

Andres.
Merida, Venezuela.
Thank you Andres.

Sincerely,
Steve

Steve Barnett
Composer/Arranger/Producer
Barnett Music Productions
BarMusProd(a)aol.com