In the Dark Night

Monks of Sviatohirsk Lavra

Eastern and Orthodox Christianity in Russia, parts of the Ukraine, Serbia, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and other countries celebrate Christmas on January 7. This week, we are celebrating with our Eastern Christian brothers and sisters at the famous monastery of Sviatohirsk in the Donbass region. The serving priest in this recording of Christmas 2016 is Metropolitan Arseny of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate (UOC-MP), detained by the Ukrainian authorities in April 24, 2024 as an “enemy of the people.” The court recently extended his detention until February 2026.

This Orthodox Christian Chant sung by the monks of the Holy Mountains Lavra—one of the ancient Russian Orthodox monasteries that was revived after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1992—is a spiritual lullaby to the infant Jesus sung from the perspective of Mary. With a knowing heart, she sings of his life and teaching, foreboding his death and the pain that will cause her, and yet understanding the divine mission that has to be fulfilled.

In the dark night, above Bethlehem,
A bright star shines forth, covering the Holy Land.
The Purest Virgin, the Holy Bride, in a poor cave gave birth to a Son.

[Chorus] Sleep Jesus, sleep my little baby,
Sleep my little star,
About your fate, my little sweet,
To you I will sing.

She gently kissed and swaddled him,
She put him to bed, and quietly started to sing:
You will grow up, my Son, you’ll become a grown-up,
And you will go out into the world, my baby.

Sleep Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby,
Sleep my little star,
About your fate, my little sweet,
To you I will sing.

The Love of the Lord and God’s truth,
You will bring faith to the world, to your people,
The truth will live on, the shackles of sin will be shattered,
[But my child], on Golgotha, my child will die.

Sleep Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby,
Sleep my little star,
About your fate, my little sweet,
To you I will sing.

Sleep, Jesus, sleep my sweet little baby,
Sleep my rose blossom,
With hope on You
The entire world is watching!