Here are the lyrics to one of the most popular Italian Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle”, in Italian and with an English translation…
Tu scendi dalle stelle
(Italian)
Tu scendi dalle stelle
O Re del Cielo
E vieni in una grotta
Al freddo al gelo.
E vieni in una grotta
Al freddo al gelo.
O Bambino mio Divino
Io ti vedo qui a tremar,
O Dio Beato
Ah, quanto ti costò
L’avermi amato.
Ah, quanto ti costò
L’avermi amato.
A te che sei del mondo,
Il creatore
Mancano panni e fuoco,
O mio Signore.
Mancano panni e fuoco,
O mio Signore.
Caro eletto, Pargoletto,
Quanto questa povertà,
Piu m’innamora
Giacche ti fece amor
Povero ancora.
Giacche ti fece amor
Povero ancora.
Here’s a rough English translation of “Tu scendi dalle stelle” …
You Come Down from the Stars
(English)
You come down from the stars
Oh King of Heavens,
And you come in a cave
In the cold, in the frost.
And you come in a cave
In the cold, in the frost.
Oh my Divine Baby
I see you trembling here,
Oh Blessed God,
Ah, how much it cost you,
Your loving me.
Ah, how much it cost you,
Your loving me.
For you, who are of all the world
The creator,
No robes and fire,
Oh my Lord.
No robes and fire,
Oh my Lord.
Dear chosen one, little infant
This dire poverty,
Makes me love you more
Since Love made you
Poor now.
Since Love made you
Poor now.
If you’re keen to learn more Italian, you could join one of my Italian for Beginners group classes or learn in 1:1 lessons. I’m based in Manchester, UK, and I teach Italian via Zoom to students all over the world. You can find out more about my Italian classes here.
If you’re looking to send Christmas wishes to someone in Italian, you can download some cute designs from my Etsy store Art Prints by Amedea, . You can download and get these printed by your local printer as wall art, cards, or you could even use the design as an e-card if you wish. Come to think of it, you could even use it to decorate a nice gift, such as a mug, tote bag or t-shirt.
