Words to O Tannenbaum in English and German

The popular Christmas carol O Tannenbaum was written in Germany in the mid-1500s. The original folk song has been rewritten many times over the centuries. The songs long history is not very detailed, but it is interesting. Its also fascinating to see how one modern German version literally translates into English. Its not quite what youre probably familiar with. The History of O Tannenbaum A Tannenbaum  is a fir tree  (die Tanne) or Christmas tree (der Weihnachtsbaum). Although most Christmas trees today are spruce (Fichten) rather than Tannen, the qualities of the evergreen have inspired musicians to write several Tannenbaum songs in German over the years. The first known Tannenbaum song lyrics date to 1550. A similar 1615 song by Melchior Franck (1579 to 1639) goes: â€Å"Ach TannebaumAch Tannebaumdu bist ein edler Zweig!Du grà ¼nest uns den Winter,die lieben Sommerzeit.† Roughly translated, it means, Oh pine tree, oh pine tree, youre a noble twig! You greet us in the winter, the dear summer time. In the 1800s, the German preacher and collector of folk music, Joachim Zarnack (1777 to 1827) wrote his own song inspired by the folk song. His version used the true leaves of the tree as a contrast to his sad tune  about an unfaithful (or untrue) lover. The best-known version of a Tannenbaum song was penned in 1824 by Ernst Gebhard Salomon Anschà ¼tz (1780 to 1861). He was  a well-known  organist, teacher,  poet, and composer from  Leipzig, Germany. His song doesnt specifically refer to a Christmas tree that is decorated for the holiday with ornaments and a star. Instead, it sings of the green fir tree, as more of a symbol of the season. Anschà ¼tz left the reference to a true tree in his song, and that adjective dates back to the faithless lover Zarnack sung about. Today, the old song is a popular Christmas carol that is sung far beyond Germany. Its common to hear it sung in the United States, even among people who dont speak German. The Lyrics and Translation The English version here is a literal translation—not the traditional English lyrics for the song—for learning purposes. There are at least a dozen other versions  of this carol. For example, a number of modern versions of this song changed treu (true) to  gruen  (green). The traditional melody of â€Å"O Tannenbaum† has also found use in non-Christmas songs. Four U.S. states (Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and New Jersey) have borrowed the melody for their state song.   Deutsch English O TannenbaumText: Ernst Anschtz, 1824Melodie: Volksweise (traditional) O Christmas TreeLiteral English translationTraditional melody O Tannenbaum,O Tannenbaum,wie treu sind deine Bltter.Du grnst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.O TannenbaumO Tannenbaum,wie treu sind deine Bltter. O Christmas tree,O Christmas tree,How loyal are your leaves/needles.Youre green not only in the summertime,No, also in winter when it snows.O Christmas treeO Christmas treeHow loyal are your leaves/needles.