To what are you currently listening?

[mikemac]

Another song about thyme:

Wild Mountain Thyme by the Choral Scholars and Alumni of University College Dublin

[yt][/yt]

Beauty.  The Corries do a nice job of it too.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVQkdV4GwLc[/yt]

The movie with the same name looks pretty good.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kadUgcIxODM[/yt]

[Vox Clara]

Ja Nuns Hons Pris, written by Richard the Lionheart while he was awaiting ransom as a captive

[yt][/yt]


Translation by Henry Adams

No prisoner can tell his honest thought
Unless he speaks as one who suffers wrong;
But for his comfort as he may make a song.
My friends are many, but their gifts are naught.
Shame will be theirs, if, for my ransom, here?—
I lie another year.

They know this well, my barons and my men,
Normandy, England, Gascony, Poitou,
That I had never follower so low
Whom I would leave in prison to my gain.
I say it not for a reproach to them,?—
But prisoner I am!

The ancient proverb now I know for sure;
Death and a prison know nor kind nor tie,
Since for mere lack of gold they let me lie.
Much for myself I grieve; for them still more.
After my death they will have grievous wrong?—
If I am a prisoner long.

?What marvel that my heart is sad and sore
When my own lord torments my helpless lands!
Well do I know that, if he held his hands,
Remembering the common oath we swore,
I should not here imprisoned with my song,?—
Remain a prisoner long.

They know this well who now are rich and strong
Young gentlemen of Anjou and Touraine,
That far from them, on hostile bonds I strain.
They loved me much, but have not loved me long.
Their plans will see no more fair lists arrayed?—
While I lie here betrayed.

Companions whom I love, and still do love,
Geoffroi du Perche and Ansel de Caieux,
Tell them, my song, that they are friends untrue.
Never to them did I false-hearted prove;
But they do villainy if they war on me,?—
While I lie here, unfree.

?Countess sister! Your sovereign fame
May he preserve whose help I claim,?—
Victim for whom am I!

?I say not this of Chartres' dame,?—
Mother of Louis!

[Melkor]

[Goldfinch]

Ja Nuns Hons Pris, written by Richard the Lionheart while he was awaiting ransom as a captive

[yt][/yt]

The song might have been written by a minstrel named Blondel while Richard was prisoner of Leopold of Austria who was excommunicated for imprisoning a crusader.

Regardless, it's a great song. Listening to it in Old French is a true glimpse into the past.

[Melkor]

When I Hear That Whistle Blowin'
I Hang My Head And Cry

[red solo cup]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEu8DrO9PbY[/yt]

[Melkor]

Rock Island Line.

[Melkor]

8bit sounding pretty good. Original song (instrumental version) for context below.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Melkor]

Ricky Nelson with 'My Bucket's Got a Hole In It.'

[red solo cup]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ6bli9Xir4[/yt]

[Heinrich]

Ja Nuns Hons Pris, written by Richard the Lionheart while he was awaiting ransom as a captive

[yt][/yt]


Translation by Henry Adams

No prisoner can tell his honest thought
Unless he speaks as one who suffers wrong;
But for his comfort as he may make a song.
My friends are many, but their gifts are naught.
Shame will be theirs, if, for my ransom, here?—
I lie another year.

They know this well, my barons and my men,
Normandy, England, Gascony, Poitou,
That I had never follower so low
Whom I would leave in prison to my gain.
I say it not for a reproach to them,?—
But prisoner I am!

The ancient proverb now I know for sure;
Death and a prison know nor kind nor tie,
Since for mere lack of gold they let me lie.
Much for myself I grieve; for them still more.
After my death they will have grievous wrong?—
If I am a prisoner long.

?What marvel that my heart is sad and sore
When my own lord torments my helpless lands!
Well do I know that, if he held his hands,
Remembering the common oath we swore,
I should not here imprisoned with my song,?—
Remain a prisoner long.

They know this well who now are rich and strong
Young gentlemen of Anjou and Touraine,
That far from them, on hostile bonds I strain.
They loved me much, but have not loved me long.
Their plans will see no more fair lists arrayed?—
While I lie here betrayed.

Companions whom I love, and still do love,
Geoffroi du Perche and Ansel de Caieux,
Tell them, my song, that they are friends untrue.
Never to them did I false-hearted prove;
But they do villainy if they war on me,?—
While I lie here, unfree.

?Countess sister! Your sovereign fame
May he preserve whose help I claim,?—
Victim for whom am I!

?I say not this of Chartres' dame,?—
Mother of Louis!

Are the lyrics Medieval French? Comprenez-vous le texte?

[Vox Clara]

Ja Nuns Hons Pris, written by Richard the Lionheart while he was awaiting ransom as a captive

[yt][/yt]

Are the lyrics Medieval French? Comprenez-vous le texte?

The song was written at the end of the 12th century, in the French of that time, which is probably about as comprehensible to a modern French speaker as Chaucer is to us. Here are the lyrics:

Ja nus hons pris ne dira sa raison
Adroitement, se dolantement non;
Mais par effort puet il faire chançon.
Mout ai amis, mais povre sont li don;
Honte i avront se por ma reançon?—
Sui ça deus yvers pris.

Ce sevent bien mi home et mi baron–
Ynglois, Normant, Poitevin et Gascon–
Que je n'ai nul si povre compaignon
Que je lessaisse por avoir en prison;
Je nou di mie por nule retraçon,?—
Mais encor sui [je] pris.

Or sai je bien de voir certeinnement
Que morz ne pris n'a ami ne parent,
Quant on me faut por or ne por argent.
Mout m'est de moi, mes plus m'est de ma gent,
Qu'aprés ma mort avront reprochement?—
Se longuement sui pris.

N'est pas mervoille se j'ai le cuer dolant,
Quant mes sires met ma terre en torment.
S'il li membrast de nostre soirement
Quo nos feïsmes andui communement,
Je sai de voir que ja trop longuement?—
Ne seroie ça pris.

?Ce sevent bien Angevin et Torain–
Cil bacheler qui or sont riche et sain–
Qu'encombrez sui loing d'aus en autre main.
Forment m'amoient, mais or ne m'ainment grain.
De beles armes sont ore vuit li plain,?—
Por ce que je sui pris.

Mes compaignons que j'amoie et que j'ain–
Ces de Cahen et ces de Percherain–
Di lor, chançon, qu'il ne sunt pas certain,
C'onques vers aus ne oi faus cuer ne vain;
S'il me guerroient, il feront que vilain?—
Tant con je serai pris.

Contesse suer, vostre pris soverain
Vos saut et gart cil a cui je m'en clain?—
Et por cui je sui pris.

Je ne di mie a cele de Chartain,?—
La mere Loës.

From Silence de Cherbourg

[Heinrich]

So as a French speaker you able to.

WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote 1   
The droghte 2 of Marche hath perced to the roote,   
And bathed every veyne in swich 3 licour,   
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

[red solo cup]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqlvSDEhxoA[/yt]

[Prayerful]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05iEjaPQ_2A[/yt]

BUT JESUS PASSED...
Posted on February 20, 2013
The title of this blog is taken from a 15th-century setting of the Credo written by Robert Wylkynson. The body of the piece, the creed, is bookended by a simple, three bar chant-like motive on the text "Jesus autem transiens", or, "But Jesus passed", which is taken from Luke 4, where Jesus turns and walks through a crowd that had been attempting to throw him off a cliff.

Screen shot 2013-02-19 at 5.20.44 PM

The genius of the piece is that it is written as a canon, with the opening phrase – "Jesus autem transiens" – setting the period. Wylkynson then divided the creed into 12 parts, labeling each with the name of one of the twelve apostles. Add in the first phrase and you get 13 parts in total: Jesus plus the disciples. It's not coincidental that the piece has a range of exactly 13 notes. When the  canon is sung as indicated with 13 voices, the opening/closing motif is always present, i.e. Jesus is always walking through while the creed is being sung. It's a theatrical setting, and while the music is fine as is, the symbolism is what really strikes me. I suppose the whole thing could be viewed as a stunt, or even a musical joke, but I find it both incredibly resonant and also open-ended. Here is a great clamor of voices singing out the creed, and all the while Jesus is very purposefully walking through. The word "amidst" comes to mind.

The idea of Jesus passing by, or through, my life is a powerful image. I don't mean to discount any way in which Jesus is present in a more immediate way, but when my life often feels clamorous and chaotic, the idea of Jesus walking calmly and quietly through, leading the way, has more immediacy. Peace, and also purpose – off he heads to the next healing in Capernaum. There is more work to be done, there are more steps to be taken, there is more to learn, more following to be done.

I find myself with that opening chant stuck in my head a lot lately. Although I am hard-pressed for specifics, it is comforting and calming to think of Jesus walking through, past, alongside, amidst. Regardless of where I find myself – joy, pain, confusion, clarity, closeness, distance – it's good to have something in my pocket to remind me that he's walking through it, leading on to the next thing.

source