by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980)
I wonder as I wander
Language: English
I wonder as I wander out under the sky how Jesus [the]1 Saviour did come for to die for poor [ordn'ry]2 people like you and like I I wonder as I wander out under the sky when Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow stall with wise men and [farmers and shepherds]3 and all [but high from the Heavens a star's light did fall [and a]4 promise of ages it then did recall]5 If Jesus had wanted [for]6 any wee thing A star in the sky or a bird on the wing; Or all of God's angels in Heav'n for to sing, He surely [could have it 'cause]7 he was the King!
View original text (without footnotes)
This text is often described as an Appalachian carol transcribed by Niles, but he did more than transcribe it according to The Songs of John Jacob Niles: New Edition Containing Eight Additional Songs, with a Preface by John Jacob Niles, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1993. From Niles's preface, dated 1975: "Suffice it to say that I wrote it in 1933, based on a fragment I overheard in the courthouse square in Murphy, N.C." (Thanks to Rufus Browning for the information). See also I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles by Ron Pen, University Press of Kentucky, 2010, pages 154-155, for a description of the development of the text.
Researcher for this text: Jeroen Scholten
This text is often described as an Appalachian carol transcribed by Niles, but he did more than transcribe it according to The Songs of John Jacob Niles: New Edition Containing Eight Additional Songs, with a Preface by John Jacob Niles, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1993. From Niles's preface, dated 1975: "Suffice it to say that I wrote it in 1933, based on a fragment I overheard in the courthouse square in Murphy, N.C." (Thanks to Rufus Browning for the information). See also I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles by Ron Pen, University Press of Kentucky, 2010, pages 154-155, for a description of the development of the text.
1 Berio, Britten: "our"
2 Britten: "or’n’ry"; Rutter: "ornery"
3 Britten: "shepherds and farmers"
4 Berio: "the"
5 Britten: "On high from God’s heaven the star’s light did fall, /
And the promise of the ages it did then recall." ; omitted by Rutter
6 Berio: "of"
7 Berio: "could have had it 'cause"; Britten: "could've had it for"
Authorship
- by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980), "I wonder as I wander", written 1933 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003), "I wonder as I wander", 1964, from Folk Songs, no. 2, note: arranged for Cathy Berberian [text verified 1 time]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "I wonder as I wander", published 1934 [voice and piano], in Songs of the Hill Folk [text verified 1 time]
- by Jake Heggie (b. 1961), "I wonder as I wander", 1996, first performed 1996 [mezzo-soprano and strings], from On the Road to Christmas, no. 4. [text not verified]
- by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980), "I wonder as I wander" [unaccompanied voice] [text verified 1 time]
- by John (Milford) Rutter, CBE (b. 1945), "I wonder as I wander" [chorus a cappella] [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Je m'émerveille en marchant", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Je m'interroge en me promenant", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Jeroen Scholten