God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, znana także jako God rest you merry, gentlemen, to tradycyjna kolęda angielska nieznanego autorstwa publikowana od XVIII stulecia. Prezentuję, jak zwykle, tekst angielski i dla odmiany cztery nagrania.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,

Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

Refrain

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, in Israel, this blessèd Babe was born,

And laid within a manger upon this blessèd morn;

The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.

Refrain

From God our heavenly Father a blessèd angel came;

And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;

How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

Refrain

“Fear not, then,” said the angel, “Let nothing you afright

This day is born a Savior of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might.”

Refrain

The shepherds at those tidings rejoiced much in mind,

And left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,

And went to Bethl’em straightaway this blessèd Babe to find.

Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came where our dear Savior lay,

They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay;

His mother Mary kneeling unto the Lord did pray.

Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.

Refrain

God bless the ruler of this house, and send him long to reign,

And many a merry Christmas may live to see again;

Among your friends and kindred that live both far and near—

That God send you a happy new year, happy new year,

And God send you a happy new year.

What child is this

What child is this to znów kolęda dziewietnastowieczna, a więc stosunkowo młoda. Napisał ja angielski pisarz William Chatterton Dix pod wpływem doswiadczenia ciężkiej choroby i mniemanej bliskości śmierci. Prezentuję, jak zwykle, tekst angielski i trzy nagrania.

1. What child is this who, laid to rest,

on Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

while shepherds watch are keeping?

Refrain:

This, this is Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

haste, haste to bring him laud,

the babe, the son of Mary.

2. Why lies he in such mean estate

where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

the silent Word is pleading.

(Refrain)

3. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,

come, peasant, king, to own him;

the King of kings salvation brings,

let loving hearts enthrone him.

(Refrain)

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Kolejna kolęda, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, nie dość, ze jest młoda, bo powstała w XIX wieku, to do tego jeszcze pochodzi z bardzo podejrznego źródła, bo od unitarian, czyli jednej z grup religijnych negujących bóstwo Chrystusa. Należy jednak do najpopularniejszych w kręgach anglojezycznych i pięknie pokazuje w ten sposób wielowyznaniowość angloamerykańskiego repartuaru kolędowego. Trzeba powiem jasno podkreslić, ze repertuar ten jest w zasadzie wspólny, a składają się nań utwory katolickie, anglikańskie, w tym episkopalne, metodystyczne, baptystyczne, ewangelikalne i jak widać, nawet unitariańskie. Wahałem się, czy napisać o tej kolędzie, uznałem jednak, że gdybybym nie napisał, przedstawiłbym obraz rażąco niepełny. Prezentuję, jak zwykle, tekst angielski i trzy nagrania.

It came upon the midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth,

To touch their harps of gold:

„Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,

From heaven’s all-gracious King.”

The world in solemn stillness lay,

To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,

With peaceful wings unfurled,

And still their heavenly music floats

O’er all the weary world;

Above its sad and lowly plains,

They bend on hovering wing,

And ever o’er its Babel sounds

The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife

The world has suffered long;

Beneath the angel-strain have rolled

Two thousand years of wrong;

And man, at war with man, hears not

The love-song which they bring;

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,

Whose forms are bending low,

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow,

Look now! for glad and golden hours

come swiftly on the wing.

O rest beside the weary road,

And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,

By prophet bards foretold,

When with the ever-circling years

Comes round the age of gold

When peace shall over all the earth

Its ancient splendors fling,

And the whole world give back the song1

Which now the angels sing.

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks to kolęda napisana pod koniec XVII stulecia przez irlandzkiego poetę Nahuma Tate’a. Śpiewana jest w kilku wariantach tekstu i melodii. Prezentuję, jak zwykle, tekst angielski i trzy nagrania.

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around,

And glory shone around.

„Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread

Had seized their troubled mind.

„Glad tidings of great joy I bring

To you and all mankind

To you and all mankind.

„To you, in David’s town, this day

Is born of David’s line

A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,

And this shall be the sign,

And this shall be the sign.

„The heavenly Babe you there shall find

To human view displayed,

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,

And in a manger laid,

And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph and forthwith

Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God on high,

Who thus addressed their song,

Who thus addressed their song:

„All glory be to God on high,

And to the Earth be peace;

Good will henceforth from heaven to men

Begin and never cease,

Begin and never cease!”

O little town of Bethlehem

Od kolęd dawnych przechodzę powoli do nowszych. O Little Town of Bethlehem została napisana w 1865 roku przez znanego episkopalnego ministra Phillipsa Brooksa zainspirowanego odbyta pielgrzymka do Betlejem. Pisząc „ministra” asekuruje się, mając na uwadze wątpliwy charakter episkopalnych święceń kapłańskich. Nie chcę nazywać go pastorem, bo byłoby to niestosowne, gdyby jego świecenia były ważnee, ani księdzem, bo to byłoby naduzyciem, gdyby były nieważne. Kolęda jest jedna z najpopularniejszych w świecie języka angielskiego. Jest śpiewana na różne melodie. Prezentuję tekst angielski i trzy nagrania.

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee to-night.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And, gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together

Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the King,

And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem!

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in,

Be born in us to-day.

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell;

Oh, come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel!

Les anges dans nos campagnes

Les anges dans nos campagnes (Aniołowie na naszych polach) to francuska kolęda pochodząca z XVI wieku, choc drukiem wydana dopiero w wieku XVIII. Jest znana również jako „Gloria” lub „francuska Gloria”. Wielka popularność zyskała zarówno w wersji oryginalnej, jak tez w przekładzie angielskim Angels we have heard on high, o którym pisałem w poprzednim tekście. Prezentuję, tekst oryginalny, poski przekład za wikipedia i kilka nagrań.

1. Les anges dans nos campagnes

Ont entonné l’hymne des cieux

Et l’écho de nos montagnes

Redit ce chant mélodieux