Joan Loves... December (6): In The Bleak Midwinter

Merry Christmas everybody :D

In this magical time of the year, I'd like to share a beautiful song to you.

Last Christmas eve, untuk pertama kalinya lagu ini dinyanyikan di Gereja gue. Oke, lagu ini udah lama banget dan sejak dulu udah ada di Kidung Jemaat. Tapi kayaknya  baru kali ini dinyanyikan di GPIB Kelapa Gading. My personal opinion, I like the sound of its Indonesian version.

So, I asked my sister to find the original one.

Lagu ini digubah berdasarkan sebuah puisi buatan Christina Rossett (wikipedia: here). It was written before 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner's Monthly for a Christmas poem.

Both version are very good. Well,  It is one of those songs that makes you feel good, peaceful, so soothing, and gives you chills at the same time because of its lyrics and melody.

Now there are so many version out of this song. Check it out yourself :D

 In the Bleak Midwinter

Text: Christina G. Rossetti, 1830-1894
Music: Gustav Holst, 1874-1934
Tune: CRANHAM, Meter: Irr.

---

1.	In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
	earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
	snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
	in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2.	Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
	heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
	In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
	the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. 

3.	Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
	cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
	but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
	worshiped the beloved with a kiss. 

4.	What can I give him, poor as I am?
	If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
	if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
	yet what I can I give him:  give my heart.

Untuk versi bahasa Indonesianya bisa ditemukan di Kidung Jemaat 121 "Dunia Kedinginan":

KJ 121 - Dunia Kedinginan

1.  Dunia kedinginan, kaku membeku:
damai yang sejati tiada bertemu.
Wabah kekerasan, siksa tirani
Sampai masa kini tidak berhenti.

2.  Tapi Firman Allah tak terbelenggu:
Kasih mencairkan hati yang beku.
Dalam dunia dingin kandang cukuplah
Untuk mengenali Khalik semesta.

3.  Segenap malaikat memuliakanNya
dan gembala miskin sujud menyembah;
Yusuf dan Maria saleh bersyukur;
Pemberian Majus: mas, menyan dan mur.

4.  Kuberikan apa, Yesus bagiMu?
Andai 'ku gembala, kub'ri dombaku;
Andai 'ku Majusi: mas,menyan dan mur.
Kuberikan apa? Hati bersyukur!