Anonymous (Spanish)
Annua gaudia
One of the earliest sources of polyphony is the ‘Codex Calixtinus” at Santiago de Compostela, copied in the md-12th century.. The text in praise of St. James suggests that it may have been written for that pilgrimage site.
Anon (Spanish) "Annua gaudia"
Text:
Annua gaudia, Jacobe, debita, sunt tibi danda.
Refrain: Organa dulcia conveniencia sunt
resonanda.
Et tua celica facta perhennia sunt resonanda.
Refrain: Organa dulcia . . .
Hec quoque splendida secia per omnia sunt
memoranda.
Refrain: Organa dulcia . . .
Hec sacre commodia florida,, fulgida
sund adamanda.
Refrain: Organa dulcia . . .
Translation:
O James, yearly gladness is due to you
and aught to be given.
Refrain: Sweet sounding, pleasing organs
ought to resound.
And your lasting heavenly deeds ought to
resound.
Refrain: Sweet sounding . . .
And through all ages they ought to be
remembered magnificently.
Refrain: Sweet sounding . . .
Those holy blossoming and shining favours
ought to be loved.
Refrain: Sweet sounding . . .
Avrix mi galanica
Anon (Spanish) "Avrix mi galanica"
Text:
Avrix mi galanica que ya va manacer.
Avrir no vos avro, mi lindo amor.
Mi madre ‘sta cuziendo y mos oyera.
Pedrelde l’alguijica, asi s’echara.
Mi padre ‘sta meldando y mos oyera.
‘Matalde la luzica, asi sechera.
Translation:
Open the door, my dear, it’s almost dawn.
I cannot open it for you, my handsome love.
My mother is sewing and she’s sure to hear us.
Hide her needle and she’ll fall asleep.
My father is reading and he’s sure to hear us.
Put out the light and he’ll fall asleep.
Cados, cados, Adonay
This short “motet” a3 is found in a 15th century Seville manuscript. Any translation suggestions would be appreciated.
Anon(Spanish) "Cados, cados, Adonay"
Text:
Cados, cados Adonay cherubim, cados,
si symher harumbrael Rausar maho et
ydreyorum nauso sopposo dislacherubim
ameabul lumbri lari discaho cados, cados.
Translation:
Con que la lavare
This may be the latest of the three versions in our repertoire of this lovely Spanish melody, (the others are by Narvaez and Juan Vasquez). it was widespread enough to be printed in Venice in 1556. Shawms and sackbuts may not be the ideal complement to the voices in a love lament . . . put it down to a programming constraint, it works quite well!
Anon (Spanish) "Con que la lavare"
Text:
Con que la lavare la tez de la mi cara?
Con que la lavare que vivo mal penada?
Lavanse les casadas con agua de
limones:
Lavome yo, cuytada, con penas y delores.
Translation:
With what shall I wash my face?
With what shall I wash, for I live in
sadness?
Married women wash with lemon water:
but I, the unfortunate, wash with grief and pain.
Dadme albricias
This is one of the three Christmas villancicos popularized by Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica in the late 1950s, and first published in Venice in 1556. The influence of the New York Pro Musica on the proliferation of ensembles performing Medieval and Renaissance music throughout the World is incalculable, including Concentus Musicus MN.
Anon (Spanish) "Dadme albricias"
Text:
Dadme albricias hijos d’Eva!
Di, de que dartelas han?
Qu’es nacido el nuevo Adam.
Oh, hi de dios, y que nueva!
Dadmelas y haved plazer,
Pues esta noche es nascido
El Mexias prometido,
Dios y hombre de mujer.
Y su nacer nos releva
Del peccado y de su afan.
Qu’es nacido el nuevo Adam.
Oh, hi de dios, y que nueva!
Translation:
Bring me gifts, ye sons of Eve!
Why should we bring gifts to you?
Because a new Adam is born.
Oh, my dear God, that is good news.
Give me gifts then celebrate
For tonight He is born,
the promised Messiah
God and man of woman born.
With His birth we are redeemed
of our sins and our mis-deeds.
Because a new Adam is born
Oh, my dear God, that is good news.
Des oge mais
Alfonso X of Castile lived 1221-1284 and is famous in music circles for the ‘Cantigas de Santa Maria’, a manuscript collection of over 400 monophonic songs in honour of the Virgin. It is thought that Alfonso may have written some, but that the majority can be attributed to the musicians and poets of his Court.
Anon (Spanish) "Des oge mais"
Text:
Des oge mais quer eu trobar
Pola senor onrrada,
En que Deus quis carne fillar
Beeyta e sagrada,
Por nos dar gran soldada
No seu reyno e nos erdar
Por seus de sa masnada
De vida perlongada
San avermos pois a pasar
Per mort outra vegada.
Translation: (Ronald Martinez)
Hence I will be troubador
of the noble Lady,
in whom God took mortal flesh,
now sanctified and holy,
to bestow the inheritance
of eternal life
and grant us
a place in His kingdom
ever free from the pain of death.
Dindirindin
Anon (Spanish) "Dindirindin"
Text:
Refrain:
Dindirin, dindirin, dindirindaña, Dindirindin.
Verse:
Ju me leve un bel matin,
Matineta per la prata;
Encontré le ruyseñor
Que cantava so la rama, Dindiridin.
Refrain . . .
Ruyseñor, le ruyseñor,
Facteme aquesta embaxata,
Encontré le ruyseñor
Que cantava so la rama, Dindirindin.
Refrain . . .
Y digaolo a mon ami,
Que ju ja so maritata,
Encontré le ruyseñor
Que cantava so la rama, Dindirindin.
Refrain . . .
Translation:
Refrain:
Dindirin, dindirin, dindirindaña, Dindirindin.
Verse:
I got up one fine morning
And walked through the meadow:
I met the nightingale
Singing among the branches, Dindirindin.
Refrain . . .
Nightingale, oh nightingale,
Take this message for me.
I met the nightingale
Singing among the branches, Dindirindin.
Refrain . . .
Go and tell my lover
That I am married now.
I met the nightingale
Singing among the branches, Dindirindin.
Refrain . . .
Guardame las vacas
Anon (Spanish) "Guardame las vacas"
Matachin
Anon (Spanish) "Matachin"
Novus miles sequitur
Anon (Spanish) "Novus miles sequitur"
Ora baila tu
Anon (Spanish) "Ora baila tu"
O Virgo splendens
This remarkable canon is found in the ‘Llibre Vermell’, a 14th century manuscript held at the monastery in Monserrat, Catalonia. The modern transcription used is from ‘Medieval Music’, edited by Thomas Marrocco and Nicholas Sandon and published by Oxford U. Press in 1977. Our version is an 8ve higher than the original. The text to the Virgin makes reference to the mountainous terrain that the pilgrim must negotiate to reach Monserrat.
Anon (Spanish) "O virgo splendens"
Text:
O Virgo splendens, hic in monte celso miraculis serrato fulgentibus ubique, quem fideles conscendunt universi Eia pietatis oculo placato cerne ligatos fune peccatorum, ne infernorum ictibus graventur, sed cum beatis tua prece vocentur.
Translation:
O resplendent Virgin, here on the miraculous mountain cleft everywhere by dazzling wonders, and which all the faithful climb. Behold with the merciful eye of love those enmeshed in the bonds of sin, that they will not have to endure the blows of hell, but rather will be named among the blessed through your intercession.
Pase el agua
Anon (Spanish) "Pase el agua"
Text:
Propiñan de melyor
Anon (Spanish) "Propinan de melyor"
Riu riu chiu
Again, as with “Dadme albricias”, thanks to Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica, we have here the most popular villancico to have survived from the 16th century. We reckoned 3 stanzas to be enough.
Anon (Spanish) "Riu riu chiu"
Text:
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu, la guarda ribera:
Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera.
Verse:
El lobo rabioso la quiso moder,
mas Dios poderoso la supo defender;
quisola hazer que no pudiesse pecar,
ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera.
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu . . .
Verse:
Este qu’es nascido es el gran monarca,
Christo patriarca de carne vestido:
hanos redimido con se hazer chiquito,
aunqu’ era infinito, finito se hiziera.
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu . . .
Translation:
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu, the protecting veil:
God keeps the wolf from our gentle maid.
Verse:
The rabid wolf wants to bite her
but God almighty will defend her
And keep her pure without sin,
even original sin does not touch her.
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu . . .
Verse:
The one who is born is a great king
Christ our patriarch made flesh
has redeemed us by His humble birth
He who was immortal is now made mortal.
Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu, . . .
Stella splendens
A simple polyphonic cancion found in the Llibre Vermell at Monserrat, Catalonia, and printed in the Oxford ‘Medieval Music’ collected and edited by Thomas Marrocco and Nicholas Sandon.
Anon (Spanish) "Stella splendens"
Text:
Stella splendens in monte ut
solis radium
Miraculis serrato exaudi populium.
Concurruntuniversi gaudentes
populi
Divites et egeni, grandes et parvuli.
Ipsum ingediuntur ut cernunt
oculi,
Et inde revertuntur graciis repleti.
Stella splendens . . .
Translation:
O star, shining like a ray of the sun
on the mountain
Miraculously cleft, hear your people.
All the people come rejoicing,
Rich and poor, grand and lowly
They climb the mountain that their
eyes may see,
And return thence filled with grace.
O star shining . . .
Una hija tiene el rey
Anon(Spanish) _Una hija tiene el rey"
Text:Una hija tiene el rey, una hija regalada.
La metio en altas torres, por teneria bien guardrada.
Una dia, porcalores, aparose a la ventana.
Vido venir un segador, segando trigo y cevada.
Asi viva, el segador, que la mi alma vos ama.
[Translation] The king had a daughter, an only
daughter had he.
He shut her up in a high tower to keep her
well guarded.
One day when it was hot, she looked out of
the window.
She saw a harvest man reaping barley and wheat.
“Oh listen, harvest man, I love you in my soul!”