Words? What Words?

I'm going to use Christmas as an excuse to stray from the focus of this blog. Philosophically, I believe in a high standard for lyrics, as they obviously carry the content of the message of praise and worship.  But the music counts too.  Meaningful lyrics set to a boring tune lose their punch through inattention.  A beautiful melody can make less expertly written poetry feel profound. And sometimes, especially at Christmas, we may be a little more lenient on the lyrics because they at least have something to do with Jesus and are set to a lovely, or even catchy, tune. Do you know what I....mean?

Since the music counts too, I'd like to spend some time with "Gesu Bambino" by Pietro Yon.  I think this is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs to listen to, and it is certainly a joy to sing. Here it is performed in a duet version by Frederica von Stade and Kathleen Battle (in all her 90's divaness). This rendition stays in Italian, and I chose it for that reason.  You can just listen to the beautiful music and incredible performance without being concerned about the orthodoxy of the lyrics.



Ahhh.  

But now, what did they say?  I wish I could tell you, but I can only provide the English lyrics by Frederick Martens, and from what little Italian I can pick out, he definitely felt free to take poetic license.  For instance, in Italian, the second half of each stanza (at least the way I've typed it below) is identical, and is a hosanna.  Quite a few other differences are obvious, even if I don't know how to translate them.

At any rate, the song definitely contains some mixture of tradition that is fairly customary to Christmas songs (winter weather, angels singing as opposed to saying) though not strictly true to the Biblical nativity account. It also contains moving worship lyrics that soar along with the melodic line. If you have a minute, listen to Kathleen and Flicka again as you look at the words (or sing along; I won't tell!).

When blossoms flowered 'mid the snows upon a winter night

Was born the Child the Christmas Rose, The King of Love and Light

The angels sang, the shepherds sang, the grateful earth rejoiced

And at His blessed birth the stars their exultation voiced.

O Come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Again the heart with rapture glows to greet the holy night

That gave the world its Christmas Rose, its king of Love and Light

Let ev'ry voice acclaim His name, The grateful chorus swell

From paradise to earth He came that we with Him might dwell

O come let us adore him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Ah! O come let us adore Him

Ah! Adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

O come, O come

O come let us adore Him

Let us adore Him

Christ, the Lord.

I suppose what moves me about this song is the working together of lyrics and music (and not just the melody; the accompaniment is actually very stirring) to create a feeling and an image of a joyful, worshipping universe.  The angels, the shepherds, the grateful earth, the stars, and all of us who will -- we are the grateful chorus that praises His incarnation, the sacrifice He made, and the great love for us that moved Him to it.  In Him we move and live and have our being. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!