Mizerna Cicha - arranged for guitar by Glenn Jarrett

Mizerna Cicha (pronounced "Meezerna Cheeha") is a Polish Christmas Carol. In English translations, Mizerna Cicha is known as "Poor and Quiet", "Silent and Weary" or "Sad and Calm", though it is also called "Only A Manger" since the lyrics refer to the manger in which the infant Jesus was born. Its melody is well known and well loved within Poland but is not so well known in other countries. The original Polish lyrics were written by Teofil Aleksander Lenartowicz (1822-1893), and the best known version of the melody was written by the Polish choral composer and conductor Jan Karol Gall (1856-1912).

The melody has a haunting, slightly mournful quality and in this arrangement Glenn has attempted to lighten it a little while staying close to the original harmony. He has added an 8-bar introduction and a 16-bar coda to a 32-bar verse. Some players may prefer to repeat the verse and add an appropriate 2nd-time ending. Chord names are provided for those who like to strum the chords to accompany a voice or other "melody instrument" (e.g. flute). From a technical perspective, it may be possible to sustain some notes in the chords for longer than the durations indicated. This issue is largely a matter of personal taste with guitarists, and some experimentation is encouraged. Sheet music, midi and mp3 files of this arrangement can be downloaded using the links in the left-hand menu, or visit the Mizaerna Cicha piano version for alternative sheet music for different instruments.