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| Boh predvichnyi narodyvsia | |
|---|---|
 Melody of the carol with the text in Ukrainian | |
| Genre | Christmas carol |
| Language | Ukrainian |
| Published | 1790 |
"Boh predvichnyi narodyvsia" (Ukrainian:«Бог предвічний народився») is aUkrainianChristmas carol, which is translated into English as "Eternal God Was Born" or sometimes "Pre-eternal God Was Born." It focuses on theincarnation in the story of thenativity.
One of the most famous carols inWestern Ukraine and the amongst theUkrainian diaspora, it is customary to sing this carol before the traditionalTwelve-dish Christmas Eve supper is served in many parts of the historic region ofGalicia. It also sung in churches at the end of theDivine Liturgy fromChristmas Day untilCandlemas.
"Boh predvichnyi narodyvsia" is in the "Bohohlasnyk" - a Ukrainian anthology of pious songs, which was published inPochayiv Monastery during the late eighteenth century. The poetIvan Franko considered this the best of all Ukrainian church songs, calling it "a pearl among carols."
There are multiple versions of this carol, ranging in length from 2 to 10 verses. This version includes 7 verses, and reflects the most common form used in the United States liturgically.[1]
| Ukrainian transliteration | English translation |
|---|---|
| Boh predvichnyi narodyvsia, Pryishov dnes iz nebes, Shchob spasty liud svii ves, I utishyvsia. V Vyfleiemi narodyvsia,Mesiia, Khrystos nashI pan nash, dlia vsikh nasNam narodyvsia. Oznaimyv tse Anhel BozhyiNapered pastyriamA potim zvizdariamI zemnym zviriam. Diva Syna iak porodylaZvizda sta, de Khrysta,Nevista prechystaSyna zrodyla. "Triie tsari, de idete?""My idem v VyfleiemZ zhelaniem spokoiemI povernemsia." Inshym putem povernulyZlobnoho, pohantsiaIroda lukavtsiaZovsim mynuly. "Slava Bohu!" zaspivaimo:Chest Synu BozhomuI Panu nashomuPoklin viddaimo. | God eternal is born tonight. He came down from aboveTo save us with his loveAnd he rejoiced. He was born in Bethlehem,Our Christ, Our Messiah,The Lord of creationwas born here for us. The tidings came through an angel,Shepherds knew, then the KingsThe watchers of the skiesThen all creation. When Christ was born of the Virgin,A star stood where the Son,And Mother, the most pure,Were sheltered that night. "You three wise men, whither go you?""We go to Bethlehem,Bearing peaceful greetings,We shall then return." Returning through, a new way they chose,The malicious Herod,The evil wicked one,They wished to avoid. Ring out the song: "Glory to God!"Honor to the son of God,Honor to our Lord,And homage to him.[1] |
Analyzing the text of carol,Mikhailo Voznyak points out that line about thewise men returning by a different route is probably a later insertion; it is not in the original text, which has been preserved from the eighteenth century. He also attributes its popularity with the peasant culture of eighteenth and nineteenth century Ukraine to itsegalitarian message conveyed by the placing of shepherds before the kings and conveying the message that the even the poorest and most wretched, like Jesus himself, find equality or even glory in the Christmas story.[2]