Dutch Christmas songs

One of the absolute best things about Christmas? Has to be the music. As per the usual – we usually listen to US- and UK-songs. Either in their original version or in translation, there’s some great music to be heard. But then, of course, there’s the next category: actual Dutch Christmas songs. I was raised on these, so it seemed to me a bit of a pitty not to share them with you!

Quick warning: about 99% of these songs are sung by *adorable* children’s choirs. If that’s not quite your thing? Maybe skip this post. Or give the children’s choirs a chance, that’s always an option as well!

I’ve translated the first couple of verses for each song – and let me tell you. I never quite understand exactly how weird these songs can sound? Until just now. You’ll see 🙂

Midden in de Windernacht

In the middle of the winter night
Heaven opened
It brought us the saving of the world
Answer to our hopes

Each bird sings its song
Shepherds,why don’t you sing along?

Beat the zithers
Blow the whistles
Let the bell, let the drum, let the bell and the drum be heard
Christ has been born.

O kindeke klein

O small child
O tender child

From the heavens above you descend
Leave your Father’s glorious home
Become arm and helpless, carry a cross

O small child
O tender child

Kling Klokje Klingeling

Sound, little bell, sound
Sound, little bell, sound

Spread the message, angle choirs are singing
We want to thank God with these happy sounds

Sound, little bell, sound
Sound, little bell, sound

Hoe leit dit Kindeke

How lays this Child
Here in the cold
See how its limbs are shivering
See how it cries
And weeps out of sorrow

Nananananana
Tender Child
Be quite now, shush, shush
And cry no more.

O denneboom

Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
How beautiful are your branches

I saw you in the forest just now
You weren’t wearing all those lights then

Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
How beautiful are your branches

I mean, there’s a certain flair to all of those songs, I guess. Basically, they are what I grew up with and – as I said above… I don’t think I actually realised how weird some of these lyrics are until I tried to translate them to English 🙂

That being said, what Christmas music did you listen to as a child? If the songs weren’t all in English, are there any that sound a little odd listening to them again? Even in English, that is sometimes the case, right? Right? Be sure to let me know below 🙂

Anyways, if you want to see what other Christmas music I love listening to, you can check out both last year’s post and the post from the year before that. Don’t worry, a “serious” Christmas music post will be published this year as well. And for now? You can find all this year’s blog-mas posts here!

-Saar