![]() In today’s world filled with unrest, we, too, need the message, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” or “May God Keep you in contented spirits, folks. It is centered around the birth of Christ and conveys the Christmas message of hope and abundant joy. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is somber and yet uplifting and inspiring. Some speculate that this is due to Queen Victoria’s love of carols.Ĭharles Dickens referenced the song in his classic, “A Christmas Carol.” The song describes how Jesus has come to “save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray” which is an appropriate theme for all mankind-and epitomized by Scrooge. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” has been a traditional carol since the mid-18th Century. In today’s language, the first line could read, “May God keep you in contented spirits, folks.” The text has changed several times over the years. ![]() In the 17th Century, “rest” as it is used in this song meant “to keep or continue.” This usage of “rest” was obsolete by 1760. Where words leave off, music begins Wynk Music brings to you God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Acoustic) MP3 song from the movie/album Acoustic Carols for Worship Vol. It is interesting to consider the lyrics in light of their original meaning. ![]() This collection also included “The First Noel” and “I Saw Three Ships.” The melody and lyrics were first published together in 1833 in a collection titled, “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern,” compiled by William Sandys. The first printed version of the song appeared in 1760-when it is referred to as “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.” The melody was first in print in 1829, though it was likely used long before that. The nightwatchmen are said to have sung “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” as they walked the streets of London. So, the faithful counteracted this tone by singing more uplifting songs in the streets. Consequentially, most church goers did not like the religious songs of the period. In the 15th Century, church music was typically sung in Latin and was dark and rather somber. This English carol has undergone many changes over the years. We may get it wrong, but it's been part of Christmas tradition since 1760, and it's not going to change now.“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is one of the oldest existing Christmas carols. It was a reasonable assumption that the people being addressed weren't just gentlemen but merry gentlemen. This wasn't until 1760, in a broadsheet and again around 1780 in the collection Three New Carols for Christmas:īy the late 18th century the Tudor expression 'God rest ye merry' had long since fallen out of use. The confusion arose when the carol was first published. ![]() The proper placing of the comma is 'God rest ye merry, gentlemen'. So, how did the original meaning come to be changed? It's all about a comma. "God rest you, merry gentlemen" - people have been getting it wrong since 1760. "Gentlemen, may God keep you in a pleasant state." The traditional 17th century carol God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen features lyrics about Jesus’s birth and the joy of the shepherds and Mary. What the carol's writers had in mind was: "Merry Gentlemen - let God grant you repose." What many people now understand by the expression is: 'Merry' meant 'pleasant harmonious happy'. The meaning of 'rest' was then 'keep cause to continue'. To grasp the meaning of 'God rest you merry' as understood by the Tudors we need to take the expression apart. And, sorry ladies, in Tudor England you didn't often get a mention. The carol God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen was probably written in the Tudor era, but it wasn't printed until 1760. Most people misunderstand the meaning of this title. Good felow god you saue, or o louynge frende god rest you mery. The first time that 'God rest you merry' was put into print was also from a Latin translation, this time Nicholas Udall's Floures for Latine Spekynge gathered oute of Terence: 'Rest ye merry' was used as early as 1300, in Old English, in the popular romantic tale Floris and Blauncheflur.Ī more readable version is found in the Latin dictionary Bibliotheca Eliotae, edited and published by the English Bishop Thomas Cooper in 1548:īee thou gladde: or joyfull, as the vulgare people saie Reste you mery. ![]() What's the origin of the phrase 'God rest you merry gentlemen'?Īpart from being the title of a carol, the expression 'God rest you merry gentlemen' is notable for being almost universally misunderstood.Ī clue to a proper reading of the line is that the phrases 'rest ye merry' and 'God rest ye merry' were commonplace expressions of goodwill in Medieval England. The expression is no longer used other than as the title and first line of the popular Christmas Carol. Throw away meaning | throw away sentences | Common English Idioms #shorts ![]()
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