Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Lessons & Carols: No. 7


Upon this holy night,

When God's great star appears,

And floods the earth with brightness,

Birds' voices rise in song,

And warbling all night long,

Express their glad hearts' lightness.

Birds' voices rise in song,

And, warbling all night long,

Express their glad heart's lightness.


The Nightingale is first

To bring his song of cheer,

And tell us of his gladness:

"Jesus, our Lord is born

To free us from all sin,

And banish ev'ry sadness!

"Jesus, our Lord is born

To free us from all sin,

And banish ev'ry sadness!"


The answ'ring Sparrow cries:

"God comes to earth this day

Amid the angels flying."

Trilling in sweetest tones,

The Finch his Lord now owns:

"To Him be all Thanksgiving."

Trilling in sweetest tones,

The Finch his Lord now owns:

"To Him be all Thanksgiving."


The Partridge adds his note:

"To Bethlehem I'll fly,

Where in the stall He's lying.

There, near the manger blest,

I'll build myself a nest,

And sing my love undying.

There, near the manger blest,

I'll build myself a nest,

And sing my love undying.

(Traditional Catalonian, "El Cant dels Ocells"; note that folklorist John Jacob Niles composed an identically entitled carol in the 1940s and this sometimes lead to confusion.)

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