Convidando está la noche

Convidando está la noche
aquí de músicas varias
Al recién nacido infante
canten tiernas alabanzas
Alegres cuando festivas
unas hermosas zagales
Con novedad entonaron
juguetes por la guaracha.

Coplas
¡Ay, que me abraso, ay! divino dueño, ay!
en la hermosura, ay! de tus ojuelos, ¡ay!
¡Ay, cómo llueven, ay! ciento luceros, ay!
rayos de gloria, ay! rayos de fuego, ¡ay!
¡Ay, que la gloria, ay! del portaliño, ay!
ya viste rayos, ay! si arroja hielos, ¡ay!
¡Ay, que su madre, ay! como en su espero, ay!
mira en su lucencia, ay! sus crecimientos, ¡ay!
¡En la guaracha, ay! le festinemos, ay!
mientras el niño, ay! se rinde al sueño, ¡ay!

¡Toquen y bailen, ay! porque tenemos, ay!
fuego en la nieve, ay! nieve en el fuego, ¡ay!
¡Pero el chicote, ay! a un mismo tiempo, ay!
llora y se ríe, ay! qué dos extremos, ¡ay!
¡Paz a los hombres, ay! dan de los cielos, ay!
a Dios las gracias, ay! porque callemos, ¡ay!

Composer: Juan García de Zéspedes (1619 - 1678)

A Stable Lamp Is Lighted

VERSION 1: DAVID HURD



VERSION 2: BOB CHILCOTT





A stable lamp is lighted
Whose glow shall wake the sky;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
And straw like gold shall shine;
A barn shall harbor heaven,
A stall become a shrine.

This child through David's city
Shall ride in triumph by;
The palm shall strew its branches,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
Though heavy, dull, and dumb,
And lie within the roadway
To pave his kingdom come.

Yet he shall be forsaken,
And yielded up to die;
The sky shall groan and darken,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry
For stony hearts of men:
God's blood upon the spearhead,
God's love refused again.

But now, as at the ending,
The low is lifted high;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
In praises of the child
By whose descent among us
The worlds are reconciled.

Words: Richard Wilbur (1921-)

Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
when a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
through the cold wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
thou shall find the winter's rage freeze your blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

Historical Information

Text: John Mason Neale (1853)
Tune: TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM 765.76D (13th century, Piae Cantiones)

Joseph est bien Marié

1. |: Joseph est bien Marié à la fille de Jessé. :|
C'était chose bien nouvelle D'être mère et pucelle.
Dieu y avait opéré: Joseph est bien marié.

2. |: Et quand ce fut au premier Que Dieu voulut nous sauver :|
Il fit en terre descendre Son seul fils Jésus pour prendre
En Marie humanité: Joseph est bien marié.

3. |: Quand Joseph eut aperçu Que la femme avait conçu :|
Il ne s'en contenta mie, Fâché fut contre Marie,
Et se voulut en aller: Joseph est bien marié.

4. |: Mais l'ange si lui a dit: Joseph n'en aie point dépit, :|
Ta sainte femme Marie Est grosse du fruit de vie.
Elle a conçu sans péché: Joseph est bien marié.

5. |: Les anges y sont venus Voir le Rédempteur Jésus. :|
De très belle compagnie, Püis à haute voix jolie
Gloria ils ont chanté: Joseph est bien marié.

6. |: Or prions dévôtement De bon coeur et humblement. :|
Que paix, joie et bonne vie Impêtre Dame Marie
A notre nécessité: Joseph est bien marié.

Traditional French carol

Corde Natus Ex Parentis

See also the English Translation: Of The Father's Love Begotten

Corde natus ex parentis
Ante mundi exordium
A et O cognominatus,
ipse fons et clausula
Omnium quae sunt, fuerunt,
quaeque post futura sunt.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Ipse iussit et creata,
dixit ipse et facta sunt,
Terra, caelum, fossa ponti,
trina rerum machina,
Quaeque in his vigent sub alto
solis et lunae globo.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Corporis formam caduci,
membra morti obnoxia
Induit, ne gens periret
primoplasti ex germine,
Merserat quem lex profundo
noxialis tartaro.
Saeculorum saeculis.

O beatus ortus ille,
virgo cum puerpera
Edidit nostram salutem,
feta Sancto Spiritu,
Et puer redemptor orbis
os sacratum protulit.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Psallat altitudo caeli,
psallite omnes angeli,
Quidquid est virtutis usquam
psallat in laudem Dei,
Nulla linguarum silescat,
vox et omnis consonet.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Ecce, quem vates vetustis
concinebant saeculis,
Quem prophetarum fideles
paginae spoponderant,
Emicat promissus olim;
cuncta conlaudent eum.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Macte iudex mortuorum,
macte rex viventium,
Dexter in Parentis arce
qui cluis virtutibus,
Omnium venturus inde
iustus ultor criminum.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Te senes et te iuventus,
parvulorum te chorus,
Turba matrum, virginumque,
simplices puellulae,
Voce concordes pudicis
perstrepant concentibus.
Saeculorum saeculis.

Tibi, Christe, sit cum Patre
hagioque Pneumate
Hymnus, decus, laus perennis,
gratiarum actio,
Honor, virtus, victoria,
regnum aeternaliter.
Saeculorum saeculis.

See also the English Translation: Of The Father's Love Begotten

Historical Information

Text: Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-413)
Tune: Plainchant, Mode V, 87.87.87.7

Of The Father's Love Begotten

See also the Latin Plainchant Original: Corde natus ex Parentis

Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!

At his word the words were framèd;
he commanded; it was done:
heaven and earth and depths of ocean
in their threefold order one;
all that grows beneath the shining
of the moon and burning sun,
evermore and evermore!

O that birth for ever blessèd,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bare the Saviour of our race;
and the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

This is he whom seers in old time
chanted of with one accord;
whom the voices of the prophets
promised in their faithful word;
now he shines, the long expected,
let creation praise its Lord,
evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven, adore him;
angel-hosts, his praises sing;
powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men,
thee let boys in chorus sing;
matrons, virgins, little maidens,
with glad voices answering:
let their guileless songs re-echo,
and the heart its music bring,
evermore and evermore!

Christ, to thee with God the Father,
and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving,
and unwearied praises be;
honor, glory and dominion,
and eternal victory,
evermore and evermore!

See also the Latin Plainchant Original: Corde natus ex Parentis

Historical Information

Text: Corde natus ex Parentis, by Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-413), English trans. by John Mason Neale (1854) and Henry Williams Baker (1861)

Tune: Plainchant, Mode V, 87.87.87.7

Good Christian Men, Rejoice

See also - In Dulci Jubilo: German / English

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today;
ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss;
Jesus Christ is born for this!
He hath opened heaven's door,
and man is blessèd evermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

See also - In Dulci Jubilo: German / English

Text: In Dulci Jubilo, adapted by John Mason Neale (1853)
Tune: IN DULCI JUBILO 66.777.855