[Kevin Greene]

I didn't know where else this question might belong. I hope people will find my question and comment!

I rediscovered this hymn this morning and I am wondering if its interesting mix of two languages is unique to the church. Do you know of other examples? (I think I'd like to give something like this a try, but it's such an oddity.)

Of one that is so fair and bright
Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella:
I cry to thee, thou see to me,
Lady, pray thy Son for me
Tam pia,
That I may come to thee.
Maria!

All this world was forlorn
Eva peccatrice,
Till our Lord was born
De te genetrice.
With ave it went away
Darkest night, and comes the day
Salutis
The well springeth out of thee.
Virtutis.


Lady, flow'r of ev'rything,
Rosa sine spina,
Thou bare Jesu, Heaven's King,
Gratia divina:
Of all thou bear'st the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise
Electa:
Maid mild, mother es Effecta.
Effecta.

The above is one version of the hymn.

[Maryann Corbett]

This mixture is called macaronic verse, and it's fairly common in Middle English lyrics and the other medieval European vernacular languages. All the examples I can think of are religious in some sense (Timor mortis conturbat me comes to mine), but so much of medieval poetry is that. The Wiki page will probably introduce me to some new ones!

[Jerome Betts]

Shouldn't have thought so, Kevin. Here's a seasonal example, a version of the 'Boar's Head Carol',.

The boar’s head in hand bring I,
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary.
I pray you, my masters, be merry
Quot estis in convivio

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land,
Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland
Let us servire cantico.

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino

Our steward hath provided this
In honor of the King of Bliss;
Which, on this day to be served is
In Reginensi atrio.

Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino

[Kevin Greene]

And I know that one! (One reaches a certain age...)

Thank you, Jerome!

Kevin

[Kevin Greene]

Maryann, thank you, also! (Make room for me on wiki!)

Kevin

[John Whitworth]

The same hymn may be found (with two more verses) on page 53 of Medieval English Lyrics Edited by R.T. Davies (Faber Paper covered Editions).

[Kevin Greene]

Thanks, John. (I found another version in my breviary, but used the one posted because it was on the Web. And I just can't bear typing from a page as I am a mediocre, two-fingered typist.) I don't have the Davies but I do have Noah Greenberg's An English Song Book. Beautiful stuff in that!

Kevin

[RCL]

Seasonal:

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS -
TEX-MEX VERSION

Jim and Nita Lee (12/72)

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring
-- Caramba! Que pasa?

Los ninos were tucked
away in their camas,
Some in long underwear,
some in pijamas,

While hanging the stockings
with mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa
would feel obligado

To bring all children,
both buenos and malos,
A nice batch of dulces
and other regalos.

Outside in the yard
there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet
like a fightened cabrito.

I ran to the window
and looked out afuera,
And who in the world
do you think that it era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh
and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along
like a crazy bombero.

And pulling his sleigh
instead of venados
Were eight little burros
approaching volados.

I watched as they came
and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling
and calling by nombre:

"Ay Pancho, ay Pepe,
ay Cuco, ay Beto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo,
Macuco, y Nieto!"

Then standing erect
with his hands on his pecho
He flew to the top
of our very own techo.

With his round little belly
like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze
down our old chiminea,

Then huffing and puffing
at last in our sala,
With soot smeared
all over his red suit de gala,

He filled all the stockings
with lovely regalos --
For none of the ninos
had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud,
seeming very contento,
He turned like a flash
and was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim,
and this is verdad,
Merry Christmas to
all, and Feliz Navidad!

[Kevin Greene]

RCL, thanks for that! Christmas joy!

I wonder what I'm going to cook up?

Kevin

[Jerome Betts]

I second that, RCL, the Tex-Mex Xmas was really fun and might even be useful for Spanish vocab as well. Chimenea?

I've always liked this piece by Harry Graham of Ruthless Rhymes fame, though when I try to recite it I usually get the ist and the es the wrong way round.

A Macaronic Poem

‘The Kaiser spoke at length with the Baron de Hauleville, Director of the Congo Museum, in French, German and English.’

- Newspaper report 1910 (?)

Guten Morgen, mon ami,
Heute ist es schönes Wetter!
Charmé de vous voir içi!
Never saw you looking better!

Hoffentlich que la Baronne,
So entzückend et so pleasant,
Ist in Brussels cet automne:
Combien wünsch’ ich she were present!


Und die Kinder, how are they?
Ont-ils eu la rougeole lately?
Sind sie avec vous today?
J’aimerais les treffen greatly.

Ich muss chercher mon hôtel.
What a charming Schwätzerei. Sir!
Lebe wohl! Adieu! Farewell!
Vive le Congo! Hoch dem Kaiser!