Scripture Verse

Shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

Introduction

Words: S. Oji­ma. Trans­lat­ed from Ja­pa­nese to Eng­lish by Kate I. Han­sen. In the re­frain, Koo­ree­soo­mah­soo is Ja­pa­nese for Christ­mas.

Music: Com­po­ser un­known (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the com­pos­er, Oji­ma’s full name, or where to get a good pic­ture of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Kate I. Hansen (1879–1968)

Lyrics

Lowly shep­herds of Ju­dea,
On a win­ter’s night,
Heard a sound of an­gel voic­es,
Saw a won­drous light.

Refrain

O, mer­ry, mer­ry, mer­ry,
Koo-ree-soo-mah-soo!
Let us all be ve­ry mer­ry,
Koo-ree-soo-mah-soo!

Eastern wise men seek­ing Je­sus,
Traveling from afar,
Just like us were filled with glad­ness,
When they saw His star.

Refrain

Friends to­day are keep­ing Christ­mas,
In Ame­ri­ca,
Brothers, sis­ters, sing­ing with us,
Down in Af­ri­ca.

Refrain

Transliteration of the Ja­pa­nese:

Yoodahyah no hetsoo jee woe,
Kohoh hetoe moh,
Nohdohkahnee eewahee nok,
Kohe woe ta te.

Nan daka oohrashee
Kooreesoomahsoo,
Wahrarah moureshee,
Kooreesoomahsoo.