Another Joseph carol, a bit less well-known than the various iterations of the cherry tree. This is a traditional French carol which I haven’t been able to find a provenance for, but certainly sounds like it’s from the Renaissance (not weird enough to the modern ear to be medieval, but the instrumentation and tune is definitely pre-baroque. Also, it sounds like incidental music from any Shakespeare play you’d care to mention, which is definitely Renaissance or pseudo-renaissance…)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFbneUGHfhA&w=420&h=315]The title basically means “Joseph married well”. I’ve put a (hasty and probably bad – it’s late at night and I’m on a break from confectionery) translation below, but again, I’m being fairly brief because my finger is still kind of painful to type with. Also, not all the verses they sing are in the translation below, but this was the best I could do…
I did discover in my travels that Claude Balbastre wrote a rather lovely organ voluntary consisting of variations on this melody. This is definitely worth your attention if you like harpsichord or organ music.
| Joseph est bien marié à la fille de Jessé.
C’était chose bien nouvelle D’être mère et pucelle. Et quand ce fut au premier Que Dieu voulut nous sauver Quand Joseph eut aperçu Que la femme avait conçu Mais l’ange si lui a dit: Joseph n’en aie point dépit, Les anges y sont venus Voir le Rédempteur Jésus. Or prions dévôtement De bon coeur et humblement. |
Joseph married well, to the daughter of Jesse This was something very new, to be mother and virgin God made it so: Joseph married well. And when God first wanted to redeem us He made his only son Jesus descend to earth When Joseph realised that the woman was with child But the angel said to him: Joseph, do not think ill of her The angels came to see the Saviour Jesus In gorgeous company, then with loud, beautiful voices Therefore we pray with devotion, sincerity and humbleness |
(apologies for that last line – Renaissance French is not my strong suit, so it’s very approximate)
Doesn’t it really mean “Joseph is a hot water bath to keep your food warm in?”
Pour les diners rechauffés
Joseph est un bain marie…
Doesn’t really rhyme if you spell bain marie properly, but there you have it…
[…] by Schütz – probably my favourite thing of the week, actually. On the 13th, I found a French carol about Joseph that I have totally ear wormed myself with, and on the 14th, I discovered that some benighted soul […]
I have this very cd; thanks for the lovely reminder to listen to it again!
Btw, Mediaeval Baebes has a new double-cd out, “The Huntress”; have you seen it yet?
I have it, but haven’t had time to listen to it.