Verbum Caro Y la Virgen - 16th Century Spanish Carol. Here is a largely unknown Christmas Carol to Americans, unless you are familiar with Renaissance music. It is by an anonymous composer of the 16th …More
Verbum Caro Y la Virgen - 16th Century Spanish Carol.
Here is a largely unknown Christmas Carol to Americans, unless you are familiar with Renaissance music. It is by an anonymous composer of the 16th Century and is an early Spanish Carol. The gist of the Carol is that the Word (Jesus) has shown his love for us by becoming flesh. Mary who has real faith would do anything for Jesus but has nowhere even to lay him down. The song then rebukes this rich world for its lack of faith manifested in love and cries out in effect, “Will you not at least offer some swaddling clothes to the one you have forced to be born in a smelly stable!” And thus the world’s true faith must be manifest by its acts of love. Here is an incarnational Christmas Carol. I provide the text and translation. Enjoy.
Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh)
Porque todos hos salveis. (for the salvation of you all
Y la Virgen le dezia: (And the Virgin said unto him)
‘Vida de la vida mia, (‘Life of my life,)
Hijo mio, ¿que os haria, (what would I [not] do for you, my Son?)
Que no tengo en que os echeis?’ (Yet I have nothing on which to lay you down.)’
O riquezas terrenales, (O wordly riches)!
¿No dareis unos pañales (will you not give some swaddling clothes)
A Jesu que entre animales (to Jesus, who is born among the animals),
Es nasçido segun veis? (as you can see?)
Here is a largely unknown Christmas Carol to Americans, unless you are familiar with Renaissance music. It is by an anonymous composer of the 16th Century and is an early Spanish Carol. The gist of the Carol is that the Word (Jesus) has shown his love for us by becoming flesh. Mary who has real faith would do anything for Jesus but has nowhere even to lay him down. The song then rebukes this rich world for its lack of faith manifested in love and cries out in effect, “Will you not at least offer some swaddling clothes to the one you have forced to be born in a smelly stable!” And thus the world’s true faith must be manifest by its acts of love. Here is an incarnational Christmas Carol. I provide the text and translation. Enjoy.
Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh)
Porque todos hos salveis. (for the salvation of you all
Y la Virgen le dezia: (And the Virgin said unto him)
‘Vida de la vida mia, (‘Life of my life,)
Hijo mio, ¿que os haria, (what would I [not] do for you, my Son?)
Que no tengo en que os echeis?’ (Yet I have nothing on which to lay you down.)’
O riquezas terrenales, (O wordly riches)!
¿No dareis unos pañales (will you not give some swaddling clothes)
A Jesu que entre animales (to Jesus, who is born among the animals),
Es nasçido segun veis? (as you can see?)