In just three short lines, this haiku-like poem catches the hush of Christmas Eve. The title, "Stille Nacht," is the German for "Silent Night," and it sets the tone before the poem even begins. Nothing is said aloud. Everything is stillness and waiting.
The speaker notes that Christmas is tomorrow, then turns to a single image: the old light of a star falling on the bed. The star is "old" in two senses. Starlight really is ancient by the time it reaches us, and the star also recalls the oldest Christmas story, with its guiding light. That one word links a tiny private moment to something very large and very long-lasting.
The speaker doesn't say how they feel, but the poem suggests quiet wonder, maybe a little loneliness. The bed is empty of people in the poem, so we may imagine someone lying awake, or a room simply waiting. The mood is calm, reverent and a bit wistful, as if the night itself were holding its breath.