Song of Christmas Day | A nice shepherd girl

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by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544)

Translation © by David K. Smythe

Deux chansons de Clément Marot sur le même air (XVIe Siècle), 2o. Chanson XXV. Du jour de Noël

(Sung text for setting by J. Tiersot)

See original

Language: Old French (Ancien français)

Our translations: ENG

Une pastourelle gentille,
Et un berger en un verger,
L'autre hier en jouant à la bille
S'entredisaient, pour abréger :
Roger
Berger
Légère
Bergère
C'est trop à la bille joué ;
Chantons Noë, Noë, Noë.

Te souvient-il plus du prophète
Qui nous dit cas de si haut fait
Que d'une pucelle parfaite
Naîtrait un enfant tout parfait ?
L'effet
Est fait,
La belle
Pucelle
Un fils a du ciel avoué :
Chantons Noë, Noë, Noë.

Composition:

Julien Tiersot

Chants de la vieille France: 20 mélodies et chansons du XIIIè au XVIIIè siècles

Text Authorship:

by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "Chanson vingtcinquiesme du jour de Noël", written c1530, appears in L'adolescence Clémentine, in Chansons, no. 25

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (David K. Smythe) , "Song of Christmas Day", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-20
Line count: 20
Word count: 71

Song of Christmas Day

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Tiersot)

See original

Language: English after the Old French (Ancien français)

A nice shepherd girl,
And a shepherd in an orchard
One day playing a game of marbles
Said to each other to while away the time,
Roger
Shepherd,
Fickle
Shepherdess,
That's enough playing of marbles
Let us sing Noel, Noel, Noel.

Do they recall more of the prophet  
Who prophesied such an important event,
That from a perfect virgin
Would be born an entirely perfect child?
The event
Is done;
The beautiful
Virgin
Has had an acknowledged son of heaven.
Let us sing Noel, Noel, Noel.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Old French (Ancien français) to English copyright © by David K. Smythe, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Old French (Ancien français) by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "Chanson vingtcinquiesme du jour de Noël", written c1530, appears in L'adolescence Clémentine, in Chansons, no. 25
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This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 87