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An Early Music Ensemble |
Cambiata 610.691.6594 |
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Winter Delights - Lyrics (2009) |
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Drive the Cold Winter Away All hail to the days that merit more praise Than all the rest of the year, And welcome the nights that double delights As well for the poor as the peer! Good fortune attend each merry man’s friend, That doth but the best that he may; Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs, To drive the cold winter away.
When Christmas’s tide comes in like a bride With holly and ivy clad, Twelve days in the year much mirth and good cheer In every household is had; The country guise is then to devise Some gambols of Christmas play, Whereast the young men do best that they can To drive the cold winter away.
Es ist ein Ros Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen Aus einer Wurzel zart, Als uns die Alten sungen Aus Jesse kam die Art; Und hat ein Blümlein bracht, Mitten im kalten Winter, Wohl zu der halben Nacht.
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming From tender stem hath sprung, Of Jesse’s lineage coming As men of old have sung. It came, a floweret bright, Amid the cold of winter, When half spent was the night.
Ther is No Ros of Swych Vertu Ther is no ros of swych vertu, As is the ros that bare Jhesu. Alleluya. For in this ros conteynyd was Heuen and erthe in lytyl space. Alleluya.
Rorate Rorate coeli desuper! Heavens, distil your balmy showers; For now is risen the bright Daystar, From the rose Mary, flower of flowers: The clear Sun, whom no cloud devours, Surmounting Phoebus in the east, Is comen of His heav’nly towers, Et nobis puer natus est.
Celestial fowlès in the air, Sing with your notès upon the height, In firthès and in forests fair Be mirthful now at all your might; For passèd is your dully night; Aurora has the cloudès pierced, The sun is risen with gladsome light, Et nobis puer natus est.
Sing, heaven imperial, most of height, Regions of air make harmony, All fish in flood and fowl of flight, Be mirthful and make melody; All Gloria in excelsis cry, Heaven, earth, sea, man, bird and beast; He that is crowned above the sky Pro nobis puer natus est.
Riu, Riu Chiu Chorus: Riu, riu, chiu, la guarda ribera Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera. El lobo rabioso la quiso morder, mas Dios poderoso la supo defender; quiso le hazer que no pudiese pecar, ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera. Este ques nacido es el gran monarca, Cristo patriarca de carne vestido, hanos redimido con sezer chiquito, aunqu’era infinito, finito se hiziera.
Spanish Carol Up now, laggardly lasses; Up, awake and away! Out and gone before cockcrow; On the road before day! Mary meek and gentle, Rose of Jericho, Bore a babe and laid him in a manger low.
See the tears in his eyes now; Sleep, my pretty one, sleep! Let him dream when he can now; Sleep, my innocent, sleep! Ah, my precious jewel, great the grief and pain, Suffered through the wide world for the sins of men!
Coventry Carol O sisters too, How may we do For to preserve this day This poor youngling, For whom we do sing, By by, lully lullay?
That woe is me, Por child for thee! And ever morn and day, For thy parting Neither say nor sing By by, lully lullay!
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, By by, lully lullay, thou little tiny child, By by, lully lullay.
Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind As man’s ingratitude. Thy tooth is not so keen, because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude.
Chorus: Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly, feigning; most loving mere folly: Most friendship is Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly, The heigh ho, the holly, this Life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky that dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot: Though thou the waters warp, thy sting is not so sharp, As friend rememb’red not.
Lute Book Lullaby Sweet was the song the Virgin sang, When she to Bethlem Juda came And was delivered of a son, That blessed Jesus hath to name: Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby, Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby. ‘Sweet babe’, sang she,‘my son, And eke a Saviour born’, on high Who hast vouchsafed from To visit us that were forlorn: Lalula, lalula, lalulaby. Sweet babe, sang she, And rocked him sweetly on her knee.
The Holly and the Ivy The holly and the ivy when they are both full grown Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown
Refrain: The rising of the sun and the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir
The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet savior
The holly bears a berry as red as any blood And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to do us sinners good
Sing Hey for Christmas Come Robin, Ralph, and little Harry, And merry Thomas at our Green Where we shall meet with Briget and Sary The finest young wenches that e’er were seen
Chorus: Then hey for Christmas once a year Where we have Cakes both ale and beer, And to our Christmas feast there comes Young men and maids to shake their bums…
There’s a fiddler to play every dance When the young Lads and Lasses meet, With which the Men and Maids will prance With the violer before them down the street
Then they went to the little thatched house And plaid at cards a game or two And with the good liquor did so carouse That they made drunk both Tom and Hugh
They took the fiddler and broke his pate And threw his fiddle into the fire And drunkenly went home so late That most of them fell into the mire
And so my merry ballad is ended When the Maids come again to these wakes They’ll see the young lads’ manners are mended And make them pay for ale and cakes. |
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