I love Christmas carols. I’ve always loved Christmas carols and I’m excited that it is time for Blog Caroling – 2019, but it appears that  footnoteMaven, who has hosted it in the past is no longer doing so. In spite of missing her invitation, I decided to continue blog caroling myself.

This year, I’ve chosen O Come, All Ye Faithful to share, but my favorite version of this is in Latin – Adeste Fideles. I can actually sing along in Latin, at least to the first verse, as I’ve listened to it so many times. The words and music were written by John Francis Wade in 1743.

1. Adeste Fideles laeti triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte, Regem Angelorum:

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus Dominum

2. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine,
gestant puellae viscera
Deum verum, genitum non factum:

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus, Dominum

3. Cantet nunc io chorus Angelorum
cantet nunc aula caelestium:
Gloria in excelsis Deo:

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus, Dominum

4. Ergo qui natus, die hodierna
Jesu, tibi sit gloria
Patris aeterni Verbum caro factum:

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus, Dominum

I recently learned that there are actually four more verses to this song, but not written by Wade.

Verses 5, 6 and 7 were written in 1822 and are sometimes called the French Cento.

5. En grege relicto, Humiles ad cunas
Vocati pastores approperant:
Et nos ovanti gradu fesinemus>

6. Aeterni Parentis splendorem aeternum
Velatum sub carne videbimus,
Deum infantem, pannis involutum

7. Pro nobis egenum Et foeno cubantem,
Piis foveamus amplexibus;
Sic nos anamtem quis non redamaret?

The final verse was written in the mid-1800s to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany:

8. Stella duce, Magi, Christum adorantes,
Aurum, thus, et myrrham dant munera;
Jesu infanti corda praebeamus.

There are many beautiful versions of Adeste Fideles. Three of my favorites can be found on YouTube. First, of course, I can’t talk about Christmas carols without mentioning Bing Crosby and his version is the one I listen to most.

However, the Christchurch Cathedral choir in Dublin does a great version in a church setting.

The last version that I think is fabulous is by the fantastic Luciano Pavarotti, who sang the son in 1978 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal, Canada.

I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.