My Danish Christmas Advent Calendar – 5 December

Welcome to My Danish Christmas Advent
Calendar
! Join me every day in opening a new door. I’ve got a
host of goodies to share with you – traditional Danish Christmas recipes,
traditions, songs, games, decorations, crafts and landscapes… So sit back,
relax and enjoy!

5 DECEMBER

Okay, clear your throats and get ready to stand up and sing! Or do as the
Danes do in church…and sit down and sing? ;) (Stand
up, Sit down, Sing along!)

Today I give you the archetypal Danish Christmas song, “Et Barn er født i
Bethlehem
” (A child is born in Bethlehem) Which you will hear in every
single nursery, school and church. You can learn it in a snap because it’s so
simple – each verse contains just two lines (half of one of which is repeated)
and then ”Halleluja, halleluja!” So even if you don’t speak Danish, can’t
remember the words or your eyes can’t decipher the tiny letters on the hymn
sheet, you can always join in with some hale and hearty hallelujas!

Et barn er født i Bethlehem

I can play it on the piano but, instead of torturing you with my own
rendition, here it is, sung by Dario Campeotto…

.

If you want to have a go at singing it yourself, then go check out a nifty
little site called the Online Danish Hymnbook – Den
Danske Salmebog Online
. You can choose whether you want to be
accompanied by a church organ or piano!

Et barn er født i Betlehem

Mel.: 15. årh. / Lossius 1553
Tysk visemelodi omkring 1600 /
A.P. Berggreen 1849

1

Et barn er født i Betlehem,
thi glæde sig Jerusalem!
Halleluja,
halleluja!

2

En fattig jomfru sad i løn
og fødte Himlens kongesøn.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

3

Han lagdes i et krybberum,
Guds engle sang med fryd derom:
Halleluja,
halleluja!

4

Og Østens vise ofred der
guld, røgelse og myrra skær.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

5

Forvunden er nu al vor nød,
os er i dag en frelser fød.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

6

Guds kære børn vi blev på ny,
skal holde jul i Himmel-by.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

7

På stjernetæpper lyseblå
skal glade vi til kirke gå.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

8

Guds engle der os lære brat
at synge, som de sang i nat:
Halleluja,
halleluja!

9

Da vorde engle vi som de,
Guds milde ansigt skal vi se.
Halleluja,
halleluja!

10

Ham være pris til evig tid
for frelser bold og broder blid!
Halleluja,
halleluja!

Latin 14. årh. Tysk 1545. Dansk 1544. 1569.
N.F.S. Grundtvig
1820 og 1845.

* * * * * *

Don’t forget to check back here tomorrow when we open the next door!
Halleluja!

Diane :)