We can't get enough of Enya's haunting Irish rendition of the Christmas carol “Silent Night” (“Oíche Chiúin”).
Irish singer Enya’s Christmas songs and albums are among our favorites but this Celtic-inspired version of the carol is just beautiful.
You can find the full lyrics for the Irish (Gaelic) “Silent Night” from Enya below, as well as a translation.
Enjoy Irish singer-songwriter Enya's rendition of "Silent Night" (in Irish, “Oíche Chiúin”) here:
Enya’s “Silent Night” Irish (Gaelic) lyrics
Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé Silent Night, Holy Night,
Cách 'na suan, dís ar aon All is calm, all is bright,
Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis Round yon Virgin, mother and child,
Naíon beag, leanbh ceansa 'gus caomh Holy infant so tender and mild, Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh Sleep in heavenly peace,
Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh Sleep in heavenly peace.
Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé Silent Night, Holy Night,
Aoirí ar dtús chuala 'n scéal Shepherds pray at the sight.
Allelúia aingeal ag glaoch Glory streams from heaven afar
Cantain suairc i ngar is i gcéin Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin Christ the Savior is born
Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin Christ the Savior is born.
Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé Silent Night, Holy Night,
Cách 'na suan, dís ar aon All is calm, all is bright,
Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis Round yon Virgin, mother and child,
Naíon beag, leanbh ceansa 'gus caomh Holy infant so tender and mild,
Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh Sleep in heavenly peace,
Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh Sleep in heavenly peace.
Check out our Spotify playlist of some of Enya's most popular songs:
Who is Enya?
Best known by her mononym Enya, Enya Patricia Brennan was born in Gweedore, County Donegal. Beloved for her modern Celtic music she is the best-selling Irish solo artist in history and the second-best-selling overall in Ireland behind U2.
Born into a musical family and raised in an Irish-speaking area in County Donegal. She began her music career when she joined her family's Celtic folk band Clannad in 1980 on keyboards and backing vocals. She left the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career with Roma Ryan as her lyricist. Over the following four years, Enya developed her sound with multitracked vocals and keyboards containing elements of Celtic, classical, church, new age, world, pop, and Irish folk music.
Enya has sold 26.5 million certified albums in the United States and an estimated 80 million records worldwide. That makes her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. "A Day Without Rain", released in 2000, remains the best-selling new-age album, with an estimated 16 million copies sold worldwide. Among her accolades are seven World Music Awards, four Grammy Awards for Best New Age Album and an Ivor Novello Award.
What is your favorite Irish Christmas carol? Let us know in the comments section, below.
* Originally published in 2017, updated in Dec 2022.
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