The clouds at Christmas | I do not know what makes the clouds

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by Joan Maragall i Gorina (1860 - 1911)

Translation © by Salvador Pila

Els núvols de Nadal

Language: Catalan (Català)

Our translations: ENG

Els núvols de Nadal no sé què tenen 
que són manyacs: no posen 
gens de malícia al cel: 
pel blau puríssim dolçament s’estenen, 
a la llum de la posta suaus s’encenen 
i de nit deixen veure algun estel. 

És una de les coses més alegres 
veure entre núvols els estels brillar. 
Tenebres de Nadal, no sou tenebres; 
més hi veig en vosaltres que no en el dia clar. 

Ai, nit que vas passant silenciosa; 
ai, núvols blancs que entre els estels correu; 
ai, llum, que no ets enlloc misteriosa; 
ai, portal de Betlem, que ets tot arreu!

Text Authorship:

by Joan Maragall i Gorina (1860 - 1911) [author's text not yet checked 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 Manuel Blancafort (1897 - 1987), "Els núvols de Nadal" [ voice and piano ], from Cançons de Nadal , no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Salvador Pila) , "The clouds at Christmas", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Salvador Pila [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2020-10-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 97

The clouds at Christmas

Language: English after the Catalan (Català)

I do not know what makes the clouds
at Christmas gentle: they bestow
no malice to the sky:
in the purest blueness they sweetly spread,
softly at dusk they light up
and at night they let a star be seen.

It is one of the most joyful things,
to see the stars shine amidst the clouds.
Christmas dusk, you are not somber;
I see more in you that on a clear day.

Oh, night you are silently passing;
oh, white clouds that move by the stars;
oh, light that nowhere is mysterious;
oh, portal of Bethlehem, you are everywhere!

If you wish to give me more joy
tell me of cloudy Christmases,
and you will see me as a dreamy child
who laughs at what he sees with eyes shut.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Catalan (Català) to English copyright © 2020 by Salvador Pila, (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 Catalan (Català) by Joan Maragall i Gorina (1860 - 1911)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2020-10-14
Line count: 18
Word count: 130