Many of the Christmas carols we sing are translations from other languages. Other songs were originally written in English but use words that are uncommon or outdated, and thus need to be interpreted for us to fully grasp their meaning. Perhaps the best example of this is “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.”
The Story
“God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” may be the oldest English Christmas carol sung today. We don’t know who wrote it, but an anonymous manuscript of an early version of the song from the 1650’s reveals it to be written by then, if not earlier. The oldest printed version of it is from the 1760’s, with its name coming not from the first line as we commonly know it, but from its chorus: “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.” Another important moment in its history is when William Sandys paired it with a melody and published it in a book of songs in 1833 that also included other Christmas hymns we still sing like “The First Noel” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Its popularity in 19th century England is reflected in the fact that it was sung in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843) – much to the chagrin of Ebenezer Scrooge!
Its appearance in that classic points not only to its popularity but also the confusion it has caused people through the years. Instead of “God rest you merry, gentlemen,” the carol singer in Dickens’s work sings, “God bless you, merry gentlemen” – changing both the word used and, it seems, the punctuation. This likely happened because of shifts in the meaning of various words between the song’s origin and Dickens’s time. In the 16th and 17th century, the definition of rest was: “to continue,” or “to keep.” However, that meaning had already gone out of vogue by Dickens’ time and is probably completely forgotten today. The word merry also is a bit archaic for us today, and may even have been misunderstood because of changes in meaning by Dickens’s time. Some claimed that the word meant “strengthen,” but I’ve not found that substantiated. It seems more likely to refer to peace and happiness; thus the phrase “God rest you merry, gentlemen” would mean “may God grant you peace and happiness” (as noted in the Oxford English Dictionary).
Something else to note is where the comma is placed, as Dickens puts it between “you” and “merry,” while it seems it originally was between “merry” and “gentlemen.” Are the gentlemen being described as “merry,” or is that what the speaker wishes to “rest” upon these gentlemen? From my research, it seems best to view “merry” as the content of the wish rather than as a description of the people. It is unclear if Dickens himself adjusted the comma or if that was a common understanding of the song at his time.
Another grammatical confusion about the song is whether it is “God Rest Ye” or “God Rest You.” Many will say “ye” as it makes it clear that one is speaking old English rather than modern English. However, the word “ye” would not be used grammatically as the object of the verb like “you” is used, and the early printings of the song have “you” rather than “ye,” making the song’s title “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.”
In addition to the different names given to this song, there have also been different tunes used. At least for a time, it was commonly sung to the tune known as “Cornish” that Sandys paired it with. Another tune came from Charles Wesley’s son Samuel (1766-1837), which is often called “Rondo.” The version most familiar today is a little different from that one, having been sung in London and popularized by E.F. Rimbault’s 1846 collection of Christmas Carols. This tune is a bit more upbeat than many hymns and Christmas songs of the time, which likely reflects the fact that it was originally sung in the streets rather than in churches.
The Song
Like many other Christmas songs, this song has a chorus (or refrain) along with the verses. This chorus, like the opening line and title, features an archaic word: “tidings.” This word means “news” or “information,” with the song as a whole looking to the announcement of the angels to the shepherds as they say, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:13). The refrain reflects this message in declaring “tidings of joy,” but also elaborates on it further by noting that this is also a message of “comfort.” It is a reminder that the birth of Jesus offers comfort and leads to rejoicing.
I have seen versions of the song that include up to nine verses, but a couple of these verses are later additions. Early versions had seven verses, but the most common modern versions only feature four or five verses. The verses of the song proclaim the good news of Jesus\’s birth for us today by taking us back to the night of his birth as recounted in Luke 2, focusing on the shepherds. Just as the shepherds were told not to be afraid on the night of Jesus’s birth, so the song invites us not to be dismayed because of the birth of the Christ, our Messiah, on Christmas Day. The song, in its light and cheerful mode, then reminds us of why Jesus came – “to save us all from Satan\’s pow\’r when we were gone astray.”
An early version of the song spoke about Jesus’s birth and Mary’s response in the second verse. However, most contemporary arrangements move from the proclamation of this message in the opening verse to the announcement by the angels, and then to the shepherds as it says that “a blessed angel/came unto certain shepherds/brought tidings of the same.” The next verse then reiterates what we sing in the first verse, but through a narration of this message being announced to the shepherds. They are told to “fear not” and “let nothing you affright” because of the birth of the Savior “of a pure virgin bright…to free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s pow’r and might.” These words are a combination of phrases from Luke 2 as well as an interpretation of the message that is proclaimed that night. The next verse then chronicles the shepherd’s response “at those tidings,” as they “rejoiced much in mind/and left their flocks feeding” to go to Bethlehem to find Jesus. Longer versions have the shepherds coming to Mary and finding the child, then bowing down to praise him.
A final verse that is sometimes included moves back from the biblical narrative to the modern day, as it invites us to “sing praises” to God and to embrace each other in love as family (“with true love and brotherhood/each other new embrace”).
When you get past the strange and outdated words of this song, you can see it is a great reminder of what Christmas is all about – both the events that transpired and their meaning and significance for us today. While it may not call for us to “rest” as we know it, singing these words should allow for us to continue in a spirit of peace and happiness when we remember that Christ has freed us from the power of Satan that we have fallen under as a result of straying from God’s good way. This means that we shouldn’t be afraid and that nothing should dismay or distress us. We’ve heard the same “tidings of comfort and joy” that the shepherds did – may it encourage us to do whatever is necessary to rejoice and celebrate the birth of this blessed child!
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