[78-L] Silent Night

[DAVID BURNHAM]

Jeff Lichtman wrote:

I've always assumed it was in the subjunctive mood, i.e. "may he 
sleep in heavenly peace."

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That would be the jist of the statement as it's normally sung.  Or, more commonly believed, as a directive from the singer to the Child to "sleep in heavenly peace".

But the entire verse is a narrative describing a scene and in that context, the description should logically conclude with the observation that the Child "sleeps in heavenly peace".

db