Translations
Stella splendens:
Radiant star on the mountain, like a miraculous sunbeam,
hear the divided people.
All joyous people come together:
rich and poor, young and old,
climb the mountain to see with their own eyes,
and return from it filled with grace.
Radiant star…
Rulers and magnates of royal stripes,
the mighty of the world, possessing grace,
proclaim their sins, beating their breast,
and call on bended knee: Ave Maria.
Radiant star…
Maria durch ein Dornwald ging:
Mary walks through the thorn-wood;
Kyrie eleison!
Which for seven years no leaf hath borne.
Mary walks through the thorn-wood:
Jesus and Mary.
What does Mary bear at her heart?
Kyrie eleison!
A little child doth Mary bear;
Beneath her heart he nestles there.
Jesus and Mary.
And as the two pass by;
Kyrie eleison!
Lo! Roses on the thorns appear!
Jesus and Mary.
O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf:
O Saviour, tear open the heavens,
come down, come down from heaven.
Tear down every door and bolt!
O bright sun, you beautiful star,
we would gladly gaze upon you.
We are all in darkness.
Es kommt ein Schiff geladen:
There comes a ship laden
to its highest board;
it carries God’s Son full of grace:
the Father’s eternal Word.
The ship moves quietly into the harbour;
it carries a precious cargo.
The sail is Love,
the Holy Ghost its mast.
The anchor is cast:
the ship has landed.
The Word will become flesh for us,
the Son has been sent to us.
In Bethlehem is born in a stall
a small child.
He will give himself for us lost:
therefore must he be praised!
O frondens virga:
Oh blossoming bough, standing in all your nobility
just as the morning awakens: so now rejoice and be glad,
though we are frail deem us worthy,
keep us from falling into habitual wickedness
and also extend your hand out to help us stand upright.
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden:
for behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Oh blossoming bough…
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.
Orietur stella ex Jacob:
A star shall come out of Jacob
and a man shall arise out of Israel;
and he shall destroy all the leaders of the enemies,
and the whole earth shall be his possession;
and all the kings of the earth shall adore him;
all nations shall serve him.
O nata lux:
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
Ecce virgo concipiet:
Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.
Alleluia.
Stella quam viderant magi:
The star which the magi saw in the East went before them
until they might come to the place where the Child was.
and seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And entering into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother:
and falling down, they worshipped him and
rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
The Bee Carol:
Silently on Christmas Eve,
the turn of midnight's key;
all the garden locked in ice –
a silver frieze –
except the winter cluster of the bees.
Flightless now and shivering,
around their Queen they cling;
every bee a gift of heat;
she will not freeze
within the winter cluster of the bees.
Bring me for my Christmas gift
a single golden jar;
let me taste the sweetness there,
but honey leave
to feed the winter cluster of the bees.
Come with me on Christmas Eve
to see the silent hive –
trembling stars cloistered above –
and then believe,
bless the winter cluster of the bees.
Blagoslovi dushe moya:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, blessed art thou,
O Lord. O Lord my God, thou art very great.
Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Blessed art thou, O Lord.
The waters stand upon the mountains.
Marvellous are thy works, O Lord.
In wisdom hast thou made all things.
Glory to thee, O Lord, who hast created all.
Lully, lulla, lullay:
Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his owne sight,
All young children to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Riu, riu chiu:
Riu, riu, chiu, the kingfisher:
God kept the wolf from our lamb,
God kept the wolf from our lamb.
1. The rabid wolf wanted to bite her,
But God Almighty could defend her.
He wanted to make her so that she couldn't sin,
This virgin wouldn't even have the original sin.
2. The one who was born is the great monarch,
Christ the patriarch made of flesh.
He redeemed us by making himself a baby
Though he was infinite, he made himself finite.
3. Many prophecies foretold him,
And in our days, we have seen them fulfilled.
We see God made human on earth,
And the man in heaven, because He so wanted it.
4. He comes to give life to the dead
And he comes to repair the fall of all.
This young one is the light of the day,
He's the lamb that Saint John foretold.
5. I saw a thousand angels singing,
Flying overhead, making a thousand sounds,
Telling shepherds, "Glory be in the Heavens
And peace on earth, for Jesus was born."
6. Do well to accept what I'd heard,
That God couldn't make but a mother of her,
He who was her father today is born from her
And he who sired her is called her son.
7. Since we now have what we desire,
Let us all go together and bring presents.
We'll all give Him our good will
Since he came to be our equal.
Prepare the way:
Prepare the way, ye people!
Ye awful deeps, rise high;
sink low, ye towering mountains,
the Lord is drawing nigh.
The righteous King of glory,
foretold in sacred story.
O blest is he that came
in God the father’s name.
Hosanna! He approaches,
your Lord and king for aye!
Strew palms where He advances,
spread garments in His way.
God’s promise faileth never,
Hosanna sound forever!
O blest is he that came
in God the father’s name.
Prepare ye the way:
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
prepare ye the way of the Lord!
A shoot will come
from Jesse,
a branch will grow
from David’s line.
The Spirit of God will rest on him,
the Spirit of wisdom and counsel
and glory and might!
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
prepare ye the way of the Lord!
Now hear the voice, prepare the way,
make straight the path!
O, prepare the way!