Gaudium Mundo

Here is today's Latin Christmas carol; you can read one carol per day for the month of December, or see the complete collection all at once. The English carol "Joy to the World" has lyrics written by Isaac Watts in 1719. You can read a biography of Watts and find the English lyrics along with the music at CyberHymnal, along with links to many other hymns by Watts. There are four different versions of "Joy to the World," along with music files, at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website.

The Latin version that circulates on the Internet translates just the first verse, unfortunately. I was surprised to not find a fuller Latin translation online! There was a Latin version by Cecil Rigby available at quite a price from Hando Music. If somebody is inspired to do a more complete Latin version that they want to share, please let me know!

(Translated by Stanford Miller)

Laetissimus
accipiat
iam mundus Dominum
dum omnia
in corda nos
accipimus illum!
accipimus illum!
accip-, accip-imus illum!

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Here are the carols I have completed so far:
December 1: Rudolphus
December 2: Angelus ad Virginem
December 3: Aquifolia Ornate
December 4: A Solis Ortus Cardine
December 5: O Viri, Este Hilares
December 6: Conditor Alme Siderum
December 7: Angeli Canunt Praecones
December 8: Regis Olim Urbe David

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Bolchazy-Carducci has a Latin Christmas Carol music CD! With 12 songs in Latin, O Abies: O Christmas Tree is available at amazon.com for $17.00

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