Adeste Fideles (Lyrics)

Adeste Fideles is the incipit of the original Latin Christmas hymn best known in English as O Come, All Ye Faithful. It is also the name of the tune to which this hymn is sung, also sometimes called Portuguese Hymn. Both the hymn (or at least the four best-known verses of it) and the associated tune are generally attributed to John Francis Wade, a member of the English Catholic exile community located at Rheims, France, during the eighteenth century. Manuscripts of the text and tune in his handwriting exist from ca. 1743, but it is not certain that he actually created the material; he may have transcribed or copied it.

Lyrics

Here are the seven stanzas of the hymn, arranged as two four-stanza hymns. The first consists of the four stanzas attributed to Wade. The second consists of Wade's first verse, followed by three not his: verse two and verse four are by the Frenchman Abbé E. Jean François de Borderies, while verse three is anonymous, first appearing in the 19th century.

Wade's Hymn

Adeste fideles, læti, triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem. Natum videte Regem angelorum.

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Gestant puellae viscera, Deum verum, Genitum non factum.

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Cantet nunc "Io!" chorus angelorum; Cantet nunc aula caelestium: "Gloria in excelsis Deo!"

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Ergo qui natus Die hodierna, Jesu tibi sit gloria! Patris aeterni Verbum caro factum.

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

The "Other" Adeste Fideles

Adeste fideles, læti, triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem. Natum videte Regem angelorum.

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

En grege relicto, humiles ad cunas Vocati pastores appropriant; Et nos ovanti gradu festinemus;

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Stella duce, Magi, Christum adorantes, Aurum, thus et myrrham dant munera. Jesu infanti corda praebeamus;

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Pro nobis erenum et foeno cubantem, Piis foveamus amplexibus. Sic nos amantem quis non redamaret?

Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus,

Venite adoremus, Dominum.

Meter

The stanzas vary quite a bit in syllable count, which is compensated for through initial rests and internal slurs. The first verse has the meter 12 10 11 7 7 7 3.