O Tannenbaum
German Nursery Rhyme
Original Lyrics
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!Wie treu sind deine Blätter;Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Wie treu sind deine Blätter.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Du kannst mir sehr gefallen;Wie oft hat nicht zur WeihnachtszeitEin Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut.O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Du kannst mir sehr gefallen.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Dein Kleid will mir was lehren:Die Hoffnung und BeständigkeitGiebt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit!O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Dein Kleid will mir was lehren.
English meaning
O fir tree, O fir tree!How faithful are your leaves;You stay green in summer,And in winter too, when it snows.O fir tree, O fir tree,How faithful are your leaves.
O fir tree, O fir tree,How much you please me;How often at ChristmastimeA tree like you has brought me joy.O fir tree, O fir tree,How much you please me.
O fir tree, O fir tree,Your coat can teach me something:Hope and constancyBring comfort and strength at any time!O fir tree, O fir tree,Your coat can teach me something.
Translation Notes
Translation Notes
The English above follows the German text. The familiar O Christmas Tree shares its tune and the evergreen image.
Find more songs in the Christmas nursery rhymes and carols collection.
History and Meaning
A Tanne is a fir and a Baum is a tree. The song calls its needles Blätter, or leaves. The fir keeps its green coat when winter arrives, so the singer sees it as an example of staying hopeful through hard times.
Why does this version say treu?
The text follows Ernst Anschütz's 1824 school songbook, where treu means “faithful” or “constant”. Many singers know the later wording grün, which means “green”. Try TAH-nən-bowm, with bowm rhyming roughly with the first part of bow-wow plus m. 1824 edition, no. 202.
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info