Lyrics for the hymn God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by George Woodward. Beautiful Organ

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (also known as "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" or "Tidings of Comfort and Joy") is a traditional English Christmas carol of anonymous origin. It is not by George Woodward (or George Ratcliffe Woodward, who is associated with arranging other carols such as "Ding Dong! Merrily on High"). Origins and History The carol is one of the oldest surviving English Christmas carols. Its language and the obsolete phrase "rest you merry" (meaning "keep you merry/joyful" or "may God keep you in a state of happiness") point to roots in the 16th century or earlier, possibly the Tudor period. An early manuscript version from the 1650s begins "Sit you merry gentlemen" (or similar variants). The earliest known printed version appears in a London broadsheet of around 1760 (sometimes listed among "new" Christmas carols), with fuller texts circulating by the 1770s. It became widely popular after antiquarian William Sandys included it in his 1833 collection Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern. The familiar minor-key English melody was already traditional by the early 19th century (an early printed arrangement appears around 1815-1829). The version commonly sung today was standardized later, including in collections such as Christmas Carols New and Old (1871).