Adestes Fideles - O Come All Ye Faithful

Hymns & Songs

Adeste Fideles

Latin Christmas Hymn
Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) is a joyous Christmas hymn that sings of Our Lord's Birth into the world. The faithful group of shepherds hastens to His Manger to behold and adore God incarnate.

The origin of this song is a mystery that continues to puzzle experts of hymnology. At various points in time it was attributed to St. Bonaventure of the 13th century. Others attributed its authorship to King John V of Portugal, which led it to be called sometimes "the Portuguese Hymn." Still others attributed it to supporters of the Catholic Prince Charlie of Scotland. In the 17th and 18th centuries, monks in Germany and France used it as a Christmas processional at the Midnight Mass. The earliest known English translation is from 1789. Whatever its beginnings the hymn continues to be a popular Christmas song to this day. It is sung here by the Vienna Boys Choir.

Listen to Adeste Fideles

Lyrics:

Adeste fideles
Laeti triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem;
Natum videte,
Regem Angelorum.

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus Dominum.

Æterni Parentis,
Splendorem æternum,
Velatum sub carne videbimus,
Deum Infantem,
Pannis involutum.

Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus Dominum

English version:

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant;
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

The Splendour Immortal,
Son of Sire Eternal,
Concealed in mortal flesh our eyes shall see;
God is an Infant,
Swaddling clothes enfold Him.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.