Altmetric

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Christmas Carols: God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen!

[Updated Jan 1, 2015: YOu can hear this song at the beginning of the 1971 cartoon version of A Christmas Carol. The song is a reminder of our duty to show love to other people, especially during Christmas.]

The words for this song are a little bit old-fashioned, but the music is lovely! Read below to find an explanation for the first line in the song: "God rest you merry, gentlemen!"



The first sentence in the song is a little bit odd. Notice that there is a comma after the word "merry." This sentence seems to be a blessing: "May God keep you happy!"
第一句的文法有一點奇怪,表面上是說:『快樂的先生們,願神讓你們休息』。事實上,這是一句祝福的話:『各位先生,願神讓你們快!』