Advent/Christmas-tide Reflections
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou1O27w-bcI

A Carol :w00t:


In dulci jubilo,

Nun singet und seid froh!

Unsers Herzens Wonne

Leit in praesepio;

Und leuchtet wie die Sonne

Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O!

In sweet rejoicing,
now sing and be glad!
Our hearts' joy
lies in the manger;
And it shines like the sun
in the mother's lap.
You are the alpha and omega!



This Year I thought I'd look at Carols/music that celebrates the season from around the world...so above is a Germanic setting of a famous carol...and below is a Ukrainian Carol called Long The Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3CFbzPRG2E

Long the night but kind the dawn
In Bethlehem where her son was born.
She touched his side and stroked his head
As she gently laid him to bed.
She held his hands, she kissed his feet,
She sang to see a sight so sweet:
In excelsis gloria.

In the hills the iron lay
What men would beat into nails one day,
Where the thorn tree roots go down
That men would twist to a crown.
In the wood where an axe would ring
To cut a cross that would bear a king,
Mary's voice rose from afar:
In excelsis gloria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ch7uottHU

The Great Mystery is a nice bit of Literny from the Roman Catholic Tradition, often used as an Antiphone

Latin text
O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum.
Alleluia.

English translation

O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!



Another Carol from Russia, which was turned into a carillion on bells

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fJUB0wmBLI


...and finally for now I leave you with the etherial Golden Light (Lux Aurumque)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Yhv-dhPZg

Lux,
calida gravisque pura velut aurum
et canunt angeli molliter
modo natum.

English Lyrics:

Light,
warm and heavy as pure gold
and the angels sing softly
to the new-born baby