Francis Berger
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My Favorite Christmas Carol?

12/20/2019

6 Comments

 
When it comes to Christmas carols and songs, I have no clear favorite, but I have always cherished "Good Bless You Merry, Gentlemen" particularly for its first stanza which, in my opinion, sums up the whole point of celebrating Christmas quite profoundly and succinctly. 

God rest you merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.


O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

6 Comments
William James Tychonievich link
12/21/2019 04:44:54

That's one of my favorites, too.

Most people don't understand the archaic English of the first line: "God rest you merry" = "May God keep you merry." (You are correct to put the comma after "merry," not after "you.")

Reply
Francis Berger
12/21/2019 06:20:15

@ Wm - I had a little fun with that in the Christmas greeting I sent out yesterday - I put the comma after you because, well, in my mind, you gentlemen are all merry and you definitely deserve a rest!

Reply
Bruce Charlton
12/21/2019 12:04:17

I'm very disappointed in the two of you; since I find God Rest You... an irritating and tedious ditty - one of my least favourites!

I propose God King Wencas (the one who last looked out) and We Three Kings of Orientar as both greatly superior.

Reply
Francis Berger
12/21/2019 13:29:38

Well Wm, Bruce has thrown down the gauntlet!

I can appreciate how God Rest Ye could be considered tedious (many Christmas songs are), but I am afraid I don't understand what is irritating about it.

Nevertheless, I agree, Good King W and We Three Kings are fine Christmas songs. Both are firmly among my favorites

Reply
William James Tychonievich link
12/22/2019 12:29:11

More annoying than fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la? Surely not!

Reply
Bookslinger
12/21/2019 21:27:57

Señor Wenças was a king? Sawright!

Reply

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