I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Composer: Varies by tune (see below)
Languages (34)
This song text has been indexed at SingPraises.net in the following languages:
- Albanian: Kambanat n’Krishtlindje D’gjova
- Bulgarian: Звънчета в коледния ден
- Cantonese (Romanized/Pingyam): [Unknown title]
- Cebuano: Nabati Ko ang Kampana
- Chinese (Simplified): 圣诞钟声
- Chinese (Traditional): 聖誕鐘聲
- English: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
- English Braille: ⠠⠊ ⠠⠓⠑⠁⠗⠙ ⠮ ⠠⠃⠑⠇⠇⠎ ⠕⠝ ⠠⠡⠗⠊⠎⠞⠍⠁⠎ ⠠⠙⠁⠽
- Estonian: Kord kostis jõulukella hääl
- Finnish: Sain kuulla joulun aikaan sen
- French: Voici Noël, avec ses chants
- French (French Polynesia): Les cloches douces j’entendais / I te mahana Noëla Vau te faarooraa
- French (Haiti): Les cloches douces j’entendais
- Hungarian: Karácsonykor a harangok
- Indonesian: Kudengar di Hari Natal
- Italian: Campane il giorno di Natal
- Japanese: なつかしい鐘は鳴る
- Japanese (Hiragana): なつかしい鐘は鳴る
- Japanese (Kanji): なつかしい鐘は鳴る
- Kekchi: Kampaan xwabʼi saʼ Ralankil
- Korean: 성탄의 종이 울린다
- Lithuanian: Kalėdų dieną vėl skambėj
- Mandarin (Romanized/Pinyin): Shèngdàn zhōngshēng
- Portuguese: Ouvi os Sinos do Natal
- Russian: Я слышал колокольный звон
- Samoan: O Logo O Loo Ta Mai Nei
- Spanish: Campanas de Navidad
- Spanish Braille: ⠠⠉⠁⠍⠏⠁⠝⠁⠎ ⠙⠑ ⠠⠝⠁⠧⠊⠙⠁⠙
- Swahili: Nilisikia Kengele
- Swedish: Jag hörde julens klockeklang
- Tagalog: Mga Kampana’y Narinig sa Araw ng Pasko
- Tahitian: Les cloches douces j’entendais / I te mahana Noëla Vau te faarooraa
- Tongan: Ne U Ongoʻi ʻa e Ngaahi Fafangú
- Ukrainian: Різдвяний дзвін
- All Languages →
Statistics
Most common tunes for “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
This chart shows the tunes that are paired with this text most frequently, in hymnbooks and other collections published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If the text appears with the same tune in multiple editions or translations of the same hymnbook, it is only counted once.
Appearances of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” over time
This timeline shows which tunes have been used with this text over time, in hymnbooks and other collections published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright status of original text
This text was first published in English, in 1928 or earlier.
Public domain
Earliest source indexed at SingPraises.net: Golden Book of Favorite Songs (1923), 71b.
Representative lyrics
English (Original Language)
1. I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men.
2. I thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along th’unbroken song Of peace on earth, good will to men.
3. And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
4. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.”
5. Till, ringing, singing, on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Compare
Compare different versions of the lyrics side-by-side: English