Bishop translated 'Silent Night' poem into a song

Here's an interesting piece of Christmas trivia. The second Bishop of Florida translated "Silent Night" into English. Well some Christmases are more silent than others (Right Buddy?)

You may not know the name John Freeman Young, but it's possible you've been singing or humming a song he translated from German into English way back in 1859: Silent Night.

Episcopalians may know Young (1820-1885) as the second bishop of the Jacksonville-based Diocese of Florida. Becoming spiritual leader of the diocese in 1867 - when it still covered the entire state - he worked to establish religious and educational freedoms for freed slaves in the post-Civil War era, diocesan historian Mike Strock said.

But he was more widely known as the man who translated the popular Christmas tune that was already internationally popular, said Shannon Palmer, executive director of the Cemetery Recovery and Preservation Trust of Jacksonville.

"Apparently one of his hobbies was collecting European hymns and translating them into English," Palmer said.

The rest is here-

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2008-12-22/bishop_translated_silent_night_poem_into_a_song