Concert Chorale

Texts & Translations

Except where noted, all translations © by Eric Newell, reprinted by permission. 

Vere languores nostros (Victoria)
Vere languores nostros, ipse tulit,
Truly our infirmities, he has borne,

Et dolores nostros, ipse portavit.
And our sorrows, he has carried.

– Isaiah 53:4
 

Selig sind die Toten (Schütz)
Selig sind die Toten,
Blessed are the dead,

die in dem Herren sterben von nun an.
Who in the Lord die from now on.

Ja, der Geist spricht: sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit,
Yea, the Spirit speaks: they rest from their work,

Und ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.
And their works follow after them.

– Revelation 14:13
 

Trois Chansons de Charles d’Orleáns (Debussy)
1.    Dieu! qu’il la fait bon regarder!

Dieu! qu’il la fait bon regarder, la gracieuse bonne et belle!
Dear God! How good it is to look at her, her grace, goodness and beauty!

Pour les grands biens que sont en elle, chacun est prêt de la louer.
For all good things are found in her, all are poised to sing her praises.

Qui se pourrait d’elle lasser? Toujours sa beauté renouvelle.
Who could possibly tire of her? Every day her beauty renews itself.

Par de ça, ne de là, la mer ne sais dame ni damoiselle
On neither side of the sea do I know a lady or damsel

Qui soit en tous bien parfait telle. C’est un songe que d’y penser.
So perfect in every respect. It is a dream to think of her.

2.    Quand j’ai ouy le tambourin sonner

Quand j’ai oui le tabourin sonner, pour s’en aller au mai,
When I heard the drum sound for people to go a-maying,

En mon lit n’en ai fait affrai ne levé mon chef du coissin;
I neither stirred in my bed nor lifted my head from the pillow;

En disant: il est trop matin, un peu je me rendormirai.
Instead, I said: “it’s much too early; I’ll go back to sleep for a little while.”

Jeunes gens partent leur butin; de Nonchaloir m’acointeray
Let the young people have their loot; I will become acquainted with Indifference

À lui je m’abutineray trouvé l’ai plus prochain voisin.
And share myself with him; I have found him to be my closest neighbor.

3.    Yver, vous n’estes qu’un villain

Yver (Hiver), vous n’êtes qu’un vilain; été est plaisant et gentil
Winter, you are nothing but a villain; summer is pleasant and gentle

En témoin de mai et d’avril qui l’accompaignent soir et main.
As witnessed by May and April, who accompany it evening and morning.

Été revet champs, bois et fleurs de sa livrée de verdure
Summer clothes the fields, woods, and flowers with its garb of greenery

Et de maintes autres couleurs par l’ordonnance de nature.
And many other colors, according to the ordinances of nature.

Mais vous, Hiver, trop êtes plein de neige, vent, plui et grezil.
But you, Winter, are too full of snow, wind, rain, and hail.

On vous doit bannir en éxil. 
You should be banished into exile.

Sans point flatter je parle plein: Hiver, vous n’êtes qu’un vilain!
Without flattering words, I’ll speak plainly: Winter, you are nothing but a villain!

– Charles, Duke of Orléans 
 

Oyfin pripetshok (arr. Hicks)

Oyf’n pripetshok brent a fayerl, un in shtub iz heys,
On the hearth burns a fire, and in the house it is warm.

Un der rebe lerent kleyne kinderlekh dem alefbeys.
And the rabbi teaches the little children the alphabet.

Zet zhe kinderlekh, gedenkt zhe, tayeres, vos ir lerent do;
See, children, and remember, dear ones, what you learn here:

Zogt zhe nokh a mol un take noch a mol: Komets-alef: o!
Repeat and repeat again, “Komets-alef: o!”

Avir harim tsalul kamayim v’reach oranim, 
The mountain air is as clear as wine,

Ni sa b’ruach ha’arbayim im kol pa’amonim.
And the scent of pines is carried on the breeze of twilight with the sound of bells.

Uv tardemat ilan va’even sh’vuya bachaloma, 
And in the slumber of tree and stone captured in her dream,

Ha’irasher badad yoshevet ub’liba cho ma.
the city that sits solitary and in its midst is a wall.

Y’rushalayim shelzahav v’shel n’choshet v’shel or halo l’chol shirayich a ni knor.
Jerusalem of gold and of copper and of light, behold, I am a violin for all your songs.

– M.M. Warshawsky

Te Quiero (Favero)

Si te quiero es porque sos mi amor, mi cómplice y todo;
If I adore you it is because you are my love, my intimate friend, my all;

Y en la calle codo a codo somos muchos más que dos.
And in the street, arm in arm, we are so much more than two.

Tus manos son mi caricia, mis acordes cotidianos;
Your hands are my caress, my daily affirmations;

Te quiero porque tus manos trabajan por la justicia.
I love you because your hands work for justice.

Tus ojos son mi conjuro contra la mala jornada;
Your eyes are my lucky charm against misfortune.

Te quiero por tu mirada que mira y siembra futuro.
I adore you for your gaze that looks to and creates the future.

Tu boca que es tuya y mía, tu boca no se equivoca;
Your mouth is yours and mine, your mouth is never mistaken;

Te quiero porque tu boca (que) sabe gritar rebeldía.
I love you because your mouth knows how to cry out for rebellion.

Y por tu rostro sincero y tu paso vagabundo
And for your sincere face and wandering spirit

Y tu llanto por el mundo porque sos pueblo te quiero.
And your weeping for the world – because you are the people, I love you.

Y porque amor no es aureola ni cándida moraleja
And because our love is neither famous nor naive

Y porque somos pareja que sabe que no está sola.
And because we are a couple that knows we are not alone.

Te quiero en mi paraíso,es decir q’en mi país,
I want you in m y paradise, which is to say, in my country;

La gente viva feliz aunque no tenga permiso.
I want the people to live happily even though they aren’t allowed to do so!

– Mario Benedetti
Translation by María Guínand reprinted by permission

Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord (arr. Moore)

Oh the king cried “Oh! Daniel, Daniel,
Oh! Daniel, Daniel,
Oh! A-that-a Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord!”

Among the Hebrew nation, one Hebrew, Daniel was found.
They put him in a-the lion’s den. He stayed there all night long.

Now the king in his sleep was troubled, and early in the morning he rose,
To find God had sent a-his angel down to lock the lion’s jaws!

– text: Traditional African-American Spiritual text

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