It was only last week that I had severe difficulties to get my car from the parking space in front of my house – that high was the snow. After I had tried it a couple of times, I decided to leave the car behind and walk instead. But walking wasn’t easy either. Have you ever tried to cross a street after the snow had been pushed to the side of the road? It is simply impossible to do this without bogging down with ones shoes. Anyway, after my last week’s experiences I was convinced that we will have a white Christmas in Germany this year, but apparently this was a wrong conclusion.

Some days ago the German landscape still looked like a winter wonderland. Trees, meadows, and rooftops were covered with snow, children could sleight, have snowball fights, or build snowmen. Meanwhile, these days are over. The snow has almost completely melted and the landscape reminds me of the season of spring, it is only the coldness that assures me that it is wintertime.

Unfortunately, I cannot control the weather but I really wish for some snow for Christmas, so that I can sing along to this very popular German Christmas song: Leise rieselt der Schnee (lit. The snow is fluttering softly). Meanwhile, the snow is not fluttering softly anymore. All I can hear now are the raindrops that hit against my window pane but maybe the rain will turn into snow again, in the next days!?

As written above, Leise rieselt der Schnee is one of the most popular German Christmas songs. The version you can listen to here is by Frank Schöbel und Auroara Lacasa who (together with their children) released an LP with Christmas songs in 1985. This album was very popular among citizens of the former GDR and there is hardly any person of my age who does not know this LP. Although this record is almost 30 years old I still love to listen to the songs, especially to Leise rieselt der Schnee.

 

 

Leise rieselt der Schnee  (lit. The snow is fluttering softly)

Leise rieselt der Schnee

The snow is fluttering softly

Still und starr ruht der See

The lake lies still and frozen

Weihnachtlich glänzet der Wald

The forest glitters festive

Freue dich Christkind kommt bald

Be happy, Christ Child is coming soon

 

In den Herzen ist’s warm

The hearts are warm

Still schweigt Kummer und Harm

Sorrow and grief remain silent

Sorge des Lebens verhallt

Sorrow of life fades away

Freue dich Christkind kommt bald

Be happy, Christ Child is coming soon

 

Bald ist heilige Nacht

Holy night will come soon

Chor der Engel erwacht

The choir of angels awakes

Hört nur wie lieblich es schallt

Listen, how lovely it sounds

Freue dich Christkind kommt bald

Be happy, Christ Child is coming soon