Three songs , opus 13

by Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986)

1. Out in the dark  [sung text checked 1 time]

Out in the dark over the snow
The fallow fawns invisible go
With the fallow doe;
And the winds blow
Fast as the stars are slow.

Stealthily the dark haunts round
And, when a lamp goes, without sound
At a swifter bound
Than the swiftest hound,
Arrives, and all else is drowned;

And [star and I] and wind and deer
Are in the dark together, -- near,
Yet far, -- and fear
Drums [on]2 my ear
In that sage company drear.

How weak and little is the light,
All the universe of sight,
Love and delight,
Before the might,
If you love it not, of night.

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1 Rubbra: "I and star"
2 Rubbra: "in on"

Researcher for this text: Mike Pearson

2. A hymn to the Virgin  [sung text checked 1 time]

Of on that is so fayr and bright
    Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light,
    Parens et puella:
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
    Tam pia,
That ic mote come to thee
    Maria.

[ ... ]

Levedy, flour of alle thing,
    Rose sine spina,
Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
    Gratia divina:
Of alle thu ber'st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys
    Electa:
Mayde milde, moder es
    Effecta.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Loblied auf die Jungfrau Maria", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Confirmed with Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir. The Oxford Book of English Verse, Oxford: Clarendon, 1919.

GLOSS: on] one. levedy] lady. thuster] dark. pris] prize.

Modernized version (used by Britten) : 
Of one that is so fair and bright
  Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light,
  Parens et puella:
I cry to thee, thou see to me,
Lady, pray thy Son for me
  Tam pia,
That I may come to thee.
  Maria!

All this world was forlorn
  Eva peccatrice,
Till our Lord was y-born
  De te genetrice.
With ave it went away
Darkest night, and comes the day
  Salutis
The well springeth out of thee.
  Virtutis.

Lady, flow'r of ev'rything,
  Rosa sine spina,
Thou bare Jesu, Heaven's King,
  Gratia divina:
Of all thou bear'st the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise
  Electa:
Maid mild, mother es Effecta.
  Effecta.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. It was a lover  [sung text not yet checked]

It was a lover and his lass,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino
That o'er the green [corn-field]1 did pass.
  In [the]2 spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

[Between the acres of the rye,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country [folks]3 would lie,
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring. ]4

[This carol they began that hour,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that [a life]5 was but a flower
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.]4

[And therefore take the present time]6
  [With]7 a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownéd with the prime
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Morley: "cornfields"
2 omitted by Barton, Bush, and Morley, passim.
3 Delius, Dring: "folk"
4 In Dring and Parry, only the first and third lines are set.
5 sometimes "life"?
6 Barton, Morley : "Then, pretty lovers, take the time"
7 Bush: "And with"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]