Quelle est cette odeur agréable?

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"Quelle est cette odeur agréable?" (What is this perfume so appealing?) is a 17th-century traditional French Christmas carol about the Nativity. John Gay used the melody of this carol for the song and chorus "Fill ev'ry Glass" in act 2, scene 1, in his 1728 work The Beggar's Opera. David Willcocks created an arrangement for four-part choir and baritone solo. Frank Houghton wrote the hymn "Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour" to the melody of this French carol.

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<poem lang="fr" style="float:left;">Quelle est cette odeur agré­able, bergers, qui ra­vit tous nos sens? S'exhale t'il rien de sem­bla­ble au mil­ieu des fleurs du prin­temps? Mais quelle écla­tante lu­mi­ère dans la nuit vient frap­per nos yeux l'astre de jour, dans sa car­ri­ère, futil ja­mais si ra­di­eux! Voici beau­coup d'autres mer­veilles! Grand Dieu! qu'en­tends-je dans les airs? Quelles voix! Ja­mais nos or­eilles n'ont en­ten­du pa­reils con­certs. Ne craig­nez rein, peu­ple fi­dèle, écoutez l'ange du Seign­eur; il vous an­nonce une mer­veille qui va vous com­bler de bon­heur. A Beth­lé­em, dans une crèche il vient de vous naître-un Sau­veur. Allons, que rien ne vous empêche d'adorer votre Ré­demp­teur. Dieu tout puis­sant, gloire éter­nelle vous soit ren­due jus­qu'aux cieux. Que la paix soit uni­vers­elle que la grâce abonde en tous lieux. <poem style="margin-left:1em; float:left;">What is this perfume so appealing, shepherds, that fills the winter air? Lovelier fraggrance ne'er came stealing from fields of springtime blossoms fair! What is that light so brilliant breaking here in the night across our eyes? Never so bright the day-star waking started to climb the morning skies. Here are many other wonders! Great God! what do I hear in the air? What voices! Never our ears have heard such concerts. Do not be afraid, faithful people, listen to the angel of the Lord; he announces to you a wonder that will fill you with happiness. Bethlehem, there in manger lying, find your Redeemer, haste away! Run ye with eager footsteps hieing, worship the Saviour born today. God almighty, eternal glory be rendered to you in the heavens. That peace be universal, that grace abound everywhere.

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