O Tannenbaum
The song O Tannenbaum is one of the most famous Christmas carols.
History
O Christmas tree goes back to the text written by Melchior Franck Silesian folk song Oh Christmas tree from the 16th century. Georg Büchmann are in his winged words with the song It hung a hostler his bridle an even older source. In this song, 1550-1580, the following verse was already included:
Joachim August Zarnack (1777-1827) wrote this song in 1819 on the basis of O Tannenbaum as a tragic love song, in which the resistant tree is used as symbolical contrast to an unfaithful lover. This song, in its second verse, " O maid, O maid, how wrong is your mind " is sung, is still to be found in the General German Kommersbuch today.
For Christmas song, it was only after the Leipzig teacher Ernst Anschütz (1780-1861), while maintaining Zarnacks first stanza, 1824, the currently known verses two and three added, in which only the tree is still the question. The setting up of fir trees as Christmas trees had become hard now become a custom. The second line of the song was originally called " How loyal are your leaves ," because the love song made a contrast between the fidelity of the tree and the infidelity of his beloved. In Anschütz ' Christmas song that remained unchanged at first, but the text was " How green are your leaves " known in the 20th century better.
The melody is a well known since the 16th century folk tune known as Long live the carpenter journeyman was sung before 1799, among others, and was also popular as a student song Lauriger Horatius.
Because of the notoriety of the song and the relative simplicity of the melody often other texts were sealed to the melody. Especially popular after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918, a version with lines like " O Tannenbaum ... the emperor has gehaun in ' bag, he buys a lunch pail and begins at Krupp in Essen. " Are also known the student version " O Christmas tree ... the teacher has gehaun me blue, o Christmas tree ... this ship ' I him to the fence " and the version that transforms the child's fear of Santa Claus in mockery " O Christmas tree ... Santa Claus wants apples klau'n; he pulls the slippers on, so he can sneak better. "
From O Tannenbaum lyrics exist in many other languages . A song of the International Labour movement called The Red flag, the anthem of the State of Maryland, Maryland, My Maryland and the symbol Song of Nankai High School and University ( Tianjin, China ) use this melody. The fan chant "We'll keep the blue flag flying high " of English football club Chelsea FC is sung to this tune.
Melody
The song in three part set: