Thursday, December 25, 2014

Star Carol

by John Rutter

Sing this night, for a boy is born in Bethlehem,
Christ our Lord in a lowly manger lies;
Bring your gifts, come and worship at his cradle,
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!

Angels bright come from heaven's highest glory,
Bear the news with its message of good cheer:
'Sing, rejoice, for a King is come to save us'
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!

See his star shining bright
In the sky this Christmas Night!
Follow me joyfully;
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!

See, he lies in his mother's tender keeping;
Jesus Christ in her loving arms asleep.
Shepherds poor come to worship and adore him,
Offer their humble gifts before the son of Mary.

Let us all pay our homage at the manger,
Sing his praise on this joyful Christmas Night;
Christ is come, bringing promise of salvation;
Hurry to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Maria durch ein Dornwald ging

Traditional

Maria durch ein Dornwald ging,
Kyrie eleison.
Maria durch ein Dornwald ging,
der hat in sieben Jahrn kein Laub getragen.
Jesus und Maria.

Was trug Maria unter ihrem Herzen?
Kyrie eleison.
Ein kleines Kindlein ohne Schmerzen,
das trug Maria unter ihrem Herzen.
Jesus und Maria.

Da haben die Dornen Rosen getragen,
Kyrie eleison.
Als das Kindlein durch den Wald getragen,
da haben die Dornen Rosen getragen.
Jesus und Maria.

Friday, December 19, 2014

O Thou That Hear'st When Sinners Cry

by Isaac Watts

O Thou that hear'st when sinners cry,
Though all my crimes before Thee lie,
Behold them not with angry look,
But blot their mem'ry from Thy book.

Create my nature pure within,
And form my soul averse to sin:
Let Thy good Spirit ne'er depart,
Nor hide Thy presence from my heart.

I cannot live without Thy light
Cast out and banished from Thy sight:
Thine holy joys, my God, restore,
And guard me that I fall no more.

Though I have grieved Thy Spirit, Lord,
His help and comfort still afford;
And let a wretch come near Thy throne,
To plead the merits of Thy Son.

A broken heart, my God, my King,
Is all the sacrifice I bring;
The God of grace will ne'er despise
A broken heart for sacrifice.

My soul lies humbled in the dust,
And owns Thy dreadful sentence just:
Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
And save the soul condemned to die.

Then will I teach the world Thy ways;
Sinners shall learn Thy sovereign grace;
I'll lead them to my Savior's blood,
And they shall praise a pard'ning God.

O may Thy love inspire my tongue!
Salvation shall be all my song;
And all my powers shall join to bless
The Lord, my strength and righteousness.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Intonent hodie

Traditional

Intonent hodie
Voces ecclesiae,
Dies laetitiae
Refulsit in mundo,
Ergo laetabundo
Corde iubilemus
Et ore iucundo.

Sanctus hic inclitus,
Domino subditus,
In cunis positus
Ubera vitabat,
Corpus macerabat,
Et ter in sabbato
Puer ieiunabat.

Parenti misero
Submerso puero
Mari pestifero
Dedit, quod petivit,
Preces exaudivit,
Submersum puerum
Patris custodivit.

Tribus virginibus
Victu carentibus
Reddidit honorera,
Subtraxit errorem,
Reddens virginibus
Virgineum florem.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Die selige Morgentraumdeut-Weise

by Richard Wagner

Morgenlich leuchtend im rosigen Schein,
von Blüt' und Duft
geschwellt die Luft,
voll aller Wonnen,
nie ersonnen,
ein Garten lud mich ein,
dort unter einem Wunderbaum,
von Früchten reich behangen,
zu schau'n in sel'gem Liebestraum,
was höchstem Lustverlangen.
Erfüllung kühn verhiess,
das schönste Weib:
Eva im Paradies!

Abendlich dämmernd umschloss mich die Nacht;
auf steilem Pfad
war ich genaht
zu einer Quelle
reiner Welle,
die lockend mir gelacht:
dort unter einem Lorbeerbaum,
von Sternen hell durchschienen,
ich schaut' im wachen Dichtertraum,
von heilig holden Mienen,
mich netzend mit dem edlen Nass,
das hehrste Weib,
die Muse des Parnass!

Huldreichster Tag,
dem ich aus Dichters Traum erwacht!
Das ich erträumt, das Paradies,
in himmlisch neu verklärter Pracht
hell vor mir lag,
dahin lachend nun der Quell den Pfad mir wies;
die, dort geboren,
mein Herz erkoren,
der Erde lieblichstes Bild,
als Muse mir geweiht,
so heilig hehr als mild,
ward kühn von mir gefreit,
am lichten Tag der Sonnen,
durch Sanges Sieg gewonnen
Parnass und Paradies!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

El cant dels ocells

Traditional

Al veure despuntar
el major lluminar
en la nit més ditxosa,
els ocellets cantant,
a festejar-lo van
amb sa veu melindrosa.

L’àguila imperial
se’n vola cel adalt,
cantant amb melodia,
dient: Jesús és nat,
per treure’ns de pecat
i dar-nos alegria.

Repon-li lo pardal:
Avui, nit de Nadal,
és nit de gran contento!
El verdum i el lluer
diuen cantant, també :
"Oh, quina alegria sento!

Cantava el passerell :
Oh, que hermós i que bell
és l’infant de Maria!
I li respon el tord :
Vençuda n’és la mort,
ja naix la vida mia !

Refila el rossinyol :
És més bonic que el sol
més brillant que una estrella!
La cotxa i el bitxac
festegen al manyac
i a sa Mare donzella.

Cantava el reietó
per glòria del Senyor,
inflant amb biçarria;
el canari segueix:
llur música pareix
del Cel gran melodia.

Ja n’entra el cotoliu
dient: Ocells veniu
a festejar l’aurora!
I lo merlot, xiulant,
anava festejant
a la més gran Senyora.

L’estiverola diu:
No és hivern ni estiu
sinó que és primavera;
puix que és nada una flor
que pertot dóna olor
I omple la terra entera.

Cantava el francolí:
Ocells qui vol venir
avui a trenc de dia
a veure el gran Senyor
amb sa gran resplendor
a dins d’una establia?

Ve cantant el puput:
Eixa nit ha vingut
el Rei de més grandesa!
La tórtora i el colom
admiren a tothom
cantant sense tristesa.

Picots i borroners
volen entre els fruiters
cantant llurs alegries;
la guatlla i el cucut
de molt lluny han vingut
per contemplar el Messies.

Cantava la perdiu
Me’n vaig a fer lo niu
dins d’aquella establia,
per a veure l’Infant
com està tremolant
en braços de Maria.

La garsa, griva o gaig
diuen: Ara ve el maig!
Respon la cadernera:
Tot arbre reverdeix,
tota branca floreix
com si fos primavera.

Xiuxiueja el pinsà:
Glòria avui i demà;
sento gran alegria
de veure el diamant
tan hermós i brillant
als braços de Maria.

El xot i el mussol
al veure eixir el sol
confosos se retiren.
El gamarús i el duc
diuen: Mirar no puc;
tals resplendors m’admiren!

Friday, December 5, 2014

American Skin (41 Shots)

by Bruce Springsteen

41 shots and we'll take that ride
'Cross the bloody river
To the other side
41 shots cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Is it a gun? Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet? This is your life
It ain't no secret
No secret, my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
She says, 'On these streets, Charles
'You've got to understand the rules
'If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite
'And that you'll never ever run away
'Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight'

Is it a gun? Is it a knife?
Is it in your heart? Is it in your eyes?
It ain't no secret
No secret, my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

41 shots and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river
To the other side
41 shots, got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters
And in each other's blood