Christmas (1993)
Columbia CK 53026
Artist: Bruce Cockburn
Spanish, 15th. century, anonymous
Liner notes:
This is a Spanish composition of the type known as a "villancico,"
dating from the sixteenth century. The language is archaic, some words
being unfamiliar to my Hispanic friends and not found in at least the
basic dictionaries. It concerns the shepherds in the biblical Christmas
story and observes, among other things, the "one born today is actually
his mother's father and the one who created her is said to be her son."
I learned the song from an early '70s recording by New York Pro Musica.
Riu, riu, chiu Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
La guarda ribera The river bank protects it,
Dios guarde el lobo As God kept the wolf from our lamb.
De nuestra cordera.
El lobo rabioso The rabib wolf tried to bite her,
La quiso morder But God Almighty knew how to
Mas Dios poderoso defend her,
La supo defender, He wished to create her impervious
Quizole hazer que to sin,
No pudiesse pecar. Nor was this maid to embody
Ni aun original original sin.
Esta uirgen no tuuiera, Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Este uiene a dar He comes to give life to the dead,
A los muertos uida, He comes to redeem the fall of man;
Y uiene a reparar This child is the light of day,
De todas la cayla; He is the very lamb Saint John
Es la luz del dia prophecied.
Aqueste mocuelo.
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc. Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Yo ui mil garcones A thousand singing herons
Que andauan contando I saw passing,
Por aqui bolando Flying overhead, sounding
Haziendo mil sones, a thousand voices,
Diziendo a gascones, Exhulting, "Glory be in the
Gloria sea en el cielo, heavens, and peace on earth,
Y paz en el suelo for Jesus has been born."
Pues Jesus nasciera. Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Este uiene a dar He comes to give life to the dead,
A los muertos uida, He comes to redeem the fall of man;
Y uiene a reparar This child is the light of day,
De todas la cayla; He is the very lamb Saint John
Es la luz del dia prophecied.
Aqueste mocuelo. Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Yo ui mil garcones A thousand singing herons
Que andauan contando I saw passing,
Por aqui bolando Flying overhead, sounding
Haziendo mil sones, a thousand voices,
Diziendo a gascones, Exhulting, "Glory be in the
Gloria sea en el cielo, heavens, and peace on earth,
Y paz en el suelo for Jesus has been born."
Pues Jesus nasciera. Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Riu, riu, chiu, etc.
Down in yon forest be a hall.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
'Tis is coverleted over with purple and pall.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
Oh, in that hall is a pallet-bed.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
'Tis stained with blood like cardinal-red
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
And at that pallet is a stone.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
On which the virgin did atone.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
Under that hall is a gushing flood.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
- From Christ's own side, 'tis water and blood.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
Beside that bed a shrub-tree grows.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
Since he was born it blooms and blows.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
Oh, on that bed a young squire sleeps.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
His wounds are sick and sick, he weeps.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
Oh, hail yon hall where none can sin.
Sing May Queen May sing Mary
'Cause it's gold outside and silver within.
Sing all good men for the new born baby.
They wake up suddenly in the night.
There is light.
And figures dancing in the sky
Clothed in more colours than the world can contain.
And all the silences of the night
leap in song.
Like that of a river cascading
from the wild mountain to the slow human plain.
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
A child's cry sounds from far away.
It's almost day.
And in the brown-air town away below
Three travelers reap a star harvest
and then go on their way again.
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
au = "awe"some (almost Queen's English)
n = nasalisation after vowels, n otherwise
nn = n after vowels
eh = "e"gg
e = w"ay"
a = "a"ha
i = "ea"sy
u = "oo"ze
o = b"o"zo
: = length
' = "'"appen (Cockney for happen)
ae = h"a"t
rr = trilled r
m-, n- = fill a whole syllable with it
Ehstehn yayau deh tsaun we yisus ahattonnia
O na wateh wado:kwi nonnwa 'ndasqua entai
ehnau sherskwa trivota nonnwa 'ndi yaun rashata
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia
Ayoki onki hm-ashe eran yayeh raunnaun
yauntaun kanntatya hm-deh 'ndyaun sehnsatoa ronnyaun
Waria hnawakweh tond Yosehf sataunn haronnyaun
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia
Asheh kaunnta horraskwa deh ha tirri gwames
Tishyaun ayau ha'ndeh ta aun hwa ashya a ha trreh
aundata:kwa Tishyaun yayaun yaun n-dehta
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia
(instrumental)
Dau yishyeh sta atyaun errdautau 'ndi Yisus
avwa tateh dn-deh Tishyaun stanshi teya wennyau
aha yaunna torrehntehn yataun katsyaun skehnn
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia
Eyeh kwata tehnaunnte aheh kwashyehn ayehn
kiyeh kwanaun aukwayaun dehtsaun we 'ndeh adeh
tarrya diskwann aunkwe yishyehr eya ke naun sta
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia
Iesus Ahattonia (English translation)
Jesus, He is Born
Have courage, you who are human beings: Jesus, he is born.
The okie spirit who enslaved us has fled.
Don't listen to him for he corrupts the spirits of our thoughts.
Jesus, he is born.
The okie spirits who live in the sky are coming with a message.
They're coming to say, "Rejoice!
Mary has given birth. Rejoice!"
Jesus, he is born.
Three men of great authority have left for the place of his birth.
Tiscient, the star appearing over the horizon leads them there.
That star will walk first on the bath to guide them.
Jesus, he is born.
The star stopped not far from where Jesus was born.
Having found the place it said,
"Come this way."
Jesus, he is born.
As they entered and saw Jesus they praised his name.
They oiled his scalp many times, anointing his head
with the oil of the sunflower.
Jesus, he is born.
They say, "Let us place his name in a position of honour.
Let us act reverently towards him for he comes to show us mercy.
It is the will of the spirits that you love us, Jesus,
and we wish that we may be adopted into your family.
Jesus, he is born.
Author
Muffy Barkocy (muffy@fish.com)
Last updated: June 14, 1995