Unto Us Is Born a Son facts for kids

Puer nobis nascitur in the 1582 edition of Piae Cantiones, an old songbook.

"Puer nobis nascitur" is a very old Christmas carol. Its name means "Unto Us Is Born a Son" in Latin. This song has been around for hundreds of years! People found it in old handwritten books from the 1300s and 1400s in places like Germany. Some parts of its music might even be from even older songs, going back to the 1100s and 1200s.

What is "Puer nobis nascitur"?

This carol is a special Christmas song that tells the story of Jesus's birth. It's known for its beautiful and joyful tune. Many people feel happy and inspired when they hear it. One music expert, Robert Cummings, said the song's melody is "glorious" and "radiant." He felt it was brighter than many other old songs from that time.

Where Did the Carol Come From?

The song first appeared in a printed book in 1582. This book was called Piae Cantiones and it was from Finland. It contained 74 old songs with Latin words. A Finnish church leader named Jaakko Suomalainen collected these songs. The book was printed by T. P. Rutha.

These songs came from old church schools where students learned to sing. These schools had connections to places like Prague, where students from Finland and Sweden often went to study. People in Finland continued to sing songs from Piae Cantiones for a very long time, even until the 1800s! A famous composer named Michael Praetorius also used this song in his own music collection.

How the Song Became Famous

The Piae Cantiones songbook became well-known in Britain much later. A rare copy of the book was given as a gift to a British official in Sweden in 1852. This official then gave the book to a man named John Mason Neale.

Spreading to Britain

John Mason Neale worked with Thomas Helmore to publish some of the songs from the old book. They released two collections in 1853 and 1854. However, "Puer nobis nascitur" was not in those first collections.

Modern Translations

The carol became truly popular in Britain after George Ratcliffe Woodward translated it into English in 1902. His translation helped it become a well-loved song sung during church processions. Later, in 1928, another person named Percy Dearmer also translated the hymn for a famous songbook called The Oxford Book of Carols. His version was called "Unto Us a Boy Is Born." Both of these English translations are still sung today.

What Does the Song Mean?

The words of "Puer nobis nascitur" talk about the birth of Christ and why he came to Earth. The melody is very uplifting and triumphant. It sounds like a celebration! Robert Cummings, the music expert, also noticed that the beginning of this song's melody sounds a bit like a much later hymn called "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."

The Words of the Carol

Here are the words of the carol in Latin, along with two popular English translations:

The beautiful music for these words is found in the 1500s collection called Piae Cantiones.