"Gesu Bambino" is an Italian Christmas carol

Christmas carol

A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

 composed by Pietro Yon

Pietro Yon

Pietro Alessandro Yon was an Italian-born organist who made his career in the United States.Yon was born in Settimo Vittone, , and studied at the conservatories of both Milan and Turin, also attending the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome...

 in 1917. It was translated to English by Frederick H. Martens. It is interesting to note that the traditional Christmas song I Saw Three Ships

I Saw Three Ships

"I Saw Three Ships " is a traditional and popular Christmas carol from England. A variant of its parent tune "Greensleeves", the earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire, and was also published by William B. Sandys in 1833...

 derives its melody from "Gesu Bambino," though the former is a simpler version of the tune. In addition, the melody and lyrics of the chorus are derived from the chorus of O Come All Ye Faithful.

Italian Lyrics

Nell'umile capanna

nel freddo e povertá

é nato il Santo pargolo

che il mondo adorerá

Osanna, osanna cantano

con giubilante cor

i tuoi pastori ed angeli

o re di luce e amor

venite adoremus

venite adoremus

venite adoremus

Dominum

O bel bambin non piangere

non piangere, Redentor!

la mamma tua cullandoti

ti bacia, O Salvator

Osanna, osanna cantano

con giubilante cor

i tuoi pastori ed angeli

o re di luce e amor

venite adoremus

venite adoremus

venite adoremus

Dominum

Ah! venite adoremus

Ah! adoremus Dominum

venite, venite

venite adoremus

adoremus

Dominum

English Lyrics

Note: This is not a literal translation of the Italian.



When blossoms flowered 'mid the snows

Upon a winter night

Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose

The King of Love and Light.

The angels sang, the shepherds sang

The grateful earth rejoiced

And at His blessed birth the stars

Their exultation voiced.

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord.

Again the heart with rapture glows

To greet the holy night

That gave the world its Christmas Rose

Its King of Love and Light.

Let ev'ry voice acclaim His name

The grateful chorus swell

From paradise to earth He came

That we with Him might dwell.

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord.