I know it’s not even close to Christmas yet, but I have to plan way ahead for the Christmas worship season, and once again today I found myself searching out good carols. The 1993 Unitarian Universalist hymnal contains the lovely Proven\u00c3\u00a7al carol “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.” But the hymnal editors included only two verses (verses 1 and 4 below).<\/p>\n
Two verses are not enough to tell the whole story of the two milkmaids, Jeanette and Isabella, who go to milk the cows before sunrise one morning. There in the cows’ manger lies the baby Jesus! Jeanette and Isabella run back to the village to awaken the townsfolk with the news that the messiah (the Christ) has been born. The townsfolk all grab torches and head off to the stable to see for themselves. As the word spreads, more and more people come, some bringing cake (more precisely, g\u00c3\u00a2teaux) so that everyone can celebrate. But Jesus is sleeping, and the latecomers are told to quiet down lest they waken the baby.<\/p>\n
A Web search turned up four verses in French, and a decent translation by Edward Cuthbert. With all four verses, the song is a little more raucous and a little less precious. I’m bored with precious Christmas songs, so I like the longer version better. I’ve been thinking about developing children’s story to go with the song, a story that emphasizes the humanness of the baby, as well as the fact that the townsfolk saw great potential in this child — the potential to be the messiah and save the world.<\/p>\n
You’ll find all four verses below (with the original French for Canadians, and anyone with Francophones in their congregations). I have tweaked Cuthbert’s translation in a few places for greater accuracy, and in a couple of places so it sounds better to my ears. <\/p>\n
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella<\/strong> 1. Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella 2. It is wrong when babies are sleeping, 3. Who comes there, who’s knocking so loudly? 4. Softly, come and enter the stable; French words:<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Un flambeau, Jeanette Isabelle, 2. C’est un tort quand l’Enfant someille 3. Qui vient l\u00c3\u00a0, frappant de la sorte? 4. Doucement dans l’\u00c3\u00a9table close, Final notes: Although it seems to me that “flambeaux” could also be translated as “candlesticks,” that just won’t scan. And it’s still a little ragged — your editing will be appreciated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I know it’s not even close to Christmas yet, but I have to plan way ahead for the Christmas worship season, and once again today I found myself searching out good carols. The 1993 Unitarian Universalist hymnal contains the lovely Proven\u00c3\u00a7al carol “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.” But the hymnal editors included only two verses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,2],"tags":[533],"class_list":["post-691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-engaging-worship","category-liberal-religion","tag-christmas-carol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7338,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691\/revisions\/7338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nProven\u00c3\u00a7al carol attributed to \u00c3\u2030mile Bl\u00c3\u00a9mont (16th C.)
\nEnglish words adapted from a translation by Edward Cuthbert Nunn (1868-1914) <\/p>\n
\nBring a torch, and quickly run.
\nCome see Jesus, good folk of the village
\nChrist is born, and Mary’s calling.
\nAh! Ah! beautiful is the mother,
\nAh! Ah! beautiful is her child.<\/p>\n
\nIt is wrong to talk so loud.
\nStop your talking one and all!
\nLest this noise should waken Jesus.
\nHush! Hush! quietly now he slumbers,
\nHush! Hush! quietly now he sleeps.<\/p>\n
\nWho comes there, who knocks on the door?
\nOpen wide! for I bear a basket
\nFilled high with cakes, which I have brought here.
\nKnock! Knock! let us inside the stable!
\nKnock! Knock! so we can celebrate!<\/p>\n
\nSoftly, come for just a short while.
\nGo and see, how charming is Jesus!
\nBrown is his brow, his cheeks are rosy!
\nOh! Oh! see how the child is sleeping,
\nOh! Oh! see how he smiles and dreams.<\/p>\n
\nUn Flambeau, courons au berceau.
\nC’est J\u00c3\u00a9sus, bonnes gens du hameau,
\nLe Christ est n\u00c3\u00a9, Marie appelle:
\nAh! Ah! Ah! Que la m\u00c3\u00a8re est belle,
\nAh! Ah! Ah! Que l’enfant est beau.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nC’est un tort de crier si fort.
\nTaisez-vous l’un et l’autre d’abord!
\nAu moindre bruit J\u00c3\u00a9sus s’\u00c3\u00a9ville.
\nChut! Chut! Chut! Il dort \u00c3\u00a0 merveille!
\nChut! Chut! Chut! Ivoyez comme il dort.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nQui vient l\u00c3\u00a0, frappant comme \u00c3\u00a7a?
\nOuvrez donc! J’ai pos\u00c3\u00a9 sur un plat
\nDe bons g\u00c3\u00a2teaux qu’ici j’apporte.
\nToc! Toc! Toc! Ouvrez-nous la porte!
\nToc! Toc! Toc! Faisons grand gala!<\/em><\/p>\n
\nDoucement venez un moment.
\nApprochez, que J\u00c3\u00a9sus est charmant!
\nComme il est blanc, comme il est rose!
\nDo! Do! Do! que l’Enfant repose!
\nDo! Do! Do! qu’il rit en dormant!<\/em><\/p>\n