Good Christian Men Rejoice (In Dulci Jubilo)

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say,
Jesus Christ is born today!
Ox and ass before Him bow
And He is in the manger now,
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice,
Now ye hear of endless bliss,
Jesus Christ was born for this,
He hath ope’d the heav’nly door,
And man is blessed evermore,
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice,
Now ye need not fear the grave,
Jesus Christ was born to save,
Calls you one and calls you all,
To gain His everlasting hall,
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

Good Christian Men Rejoice is a traditional German carol that can be traced back to the 14th century when it was written in 1328 by a Dominican monk, Heinrich Seuse (1295-1366). This makes it the oldest of the Christmas carols still commonly sung, predating even Away In A Manger which has been attributed (without much evidence) to Martin Luther (1483-1546). The original name for this carol was In Dulci Jubilo, and it was written in a mixed text of medieval German and Latin. The tune too can be traced back to 1400 in the University of Leipzig’s archives and as it probably predates that time, it is likely that the words and tune are contemporaneous.

Good Christian Men Rejoice appeared in its more recognisable form in 1853 when it was translated by John Mason Neale from the original text. If you’ve been taking notes you’ll know that John Mason Neale (1818-1866) made of number of these translations, and is also another writer to appear twice in my festive hit parade of carols (after Christina Rossetti) as he also wrote Good King Wenceslas which featured a couple of days ago. Neale looks a bit like a 70s prog rocker so perhaps he’s used to being in the charts.

And talking of prog rockers, a little more recently (only 45 years ago) Mike Oldfield’s instrumental version of In Dulci Jubilo made it to number 4 in the UK singles chart in January 1976 so the tune has legs, having lasted for getting on for 600 years. Might this be the oldest tune to make it on to Top Of The Pops?

Anyway, the Oldfield recording was just an instrumental so in my imagination I hear Margaret Tarrant’s robin and elf providing the refrain.

Merry Christmas

Header image : King of Peace by Bradford Exchange

Footer illustration : Margaret Tarrant drawing of robin and elf duet in the holly and mistletoe, from Sothebys.com