Translations

SING JOYFULLY - William Byrd (ca.1539-1623)
Sing joyfully to God our strength; sing loud unto the God of Jacob!
Take the song, bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant harp, and the viol.
Blow the trumpet in the new moon, even in the time appointed, and at our feast day.
For this is a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

O QUAM GLORIOSUM - Gioseffo Zarlino (1517-1590)
O quam gloriosum est regnum,        O how glorious is the kingdom
in quo cum Christo gaudent omnes Sancti!    in which all the saints rejoice with Christ,
Amicti stolis albis,                clad in robes of white
sequuntur Agnum, quocumque ierit.        they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

CANTATE DOMINO - Claudio Monteverdi (ca.1590-1613)
Cantate Domino canticum novum,        Sing to the Lord a new song,
Cantate et benedicite nomini ejus:         Sing and give praise to his name
Quia mirabilia fecit.                For he has done marvellous deeds.
Cantate et exultate et psallite            Sing and exult and praise
in cythara et voce psalmi:            in songs with harp and voice:
Quia mirabilia fecit.                For he has done marvellous deeds.

SING WE AND CHANT IT - Thomas Morley (ca.1557-1602)
Sing we and chant it
while love doth grant it,
fa la la, etc.

Not long youth lasteth,
and old age hasteth;
now is best leisure
to take our pleasure,
fa la la, etc.

All things invite us
now to delight us,
fa la la, etc.

Hence, care, be packing!
no mirth be lacking!
Let spare no treasure
to live in pleasure,
fa la la, etc.

SUMER IS ICUMEN IN - Anonymous (mid-13th century)
Sumer is icumen in,                Summer is come,
Lhude sing Cuccu!                sing loud, cuckoo!
GroweÞ sed, and bloweÞ med,        The seed grows and the meadow blooms,
and springÞ wde nu.                and now the wood turns green.
Sing Cuccu!                    Sing, cuckoo!

Awe bleteÞ after lomb,                Ewe bleats after lamb,
lhouÞ after calve cu.                cow lows after calf,
Bulluc sterteÞ,                    bullock leaps,
bucke verteÞ,                    buck farts,
murie sing Cuccu!                sing merrily, cuckoo!
Cuccu, cuccu,                    Cuckoo, cuckoo!
wel singes Þu Cuccu                You sing well, cuckoo.
ne swik Þu naver nu.                Don't ever stop now.

Pes:
Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu.            Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo.
Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu!            Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!

THE APE, THE MONKEY, AND BABOON - Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)
The ape, the monkey and baboon did meet,
And breaking of their fast in Friday street,
Two of them swore together solemnly
In their three natures was a sympathy.
Nay, quoth baboon,
I do deny that strain:
I have more knavery in me
than you twain.

Why, quoth the ape, I have a horse at will
In Paris Garden for to ride on still,
And there show tricks.
Tush, quoth the monkey,
For better tricks in great men’s houses lie.
Tush, quoth baboon,
when men do know I come,
For sport from city, country they will run.

THE NIGHTINGALE - Thomas Weelkes
The Nightingale, the Organ of delight,
the nimble Lark, the Blackbird, and the Thrush,
and all the pretty quiristers of flight,
that chant their Music notes in ev'ry bush:
Let them no more contend who shall excel,
the Cuckoo is the bird that bears the bell.

AS VESTA WAS FROM LATMOS HILL - Thomas Weelkes
As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending,
She spied a maiden Queen the same ascending,
Attended on by all the shepherds' swain,
To whom Diana's darlings came running down amain,
First two by two, then three by three together,
Leaving their goddess all alone hasted thither;
And mingling with the shepherds of her train,
With mirthful tunes her presence entertain.

Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live fair Oriana!

ILLUMINA NOS - Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613)
Illumina nos, misericordiarum Deus        Enlighten us, O God of mercies,
Septiformini Paracliti gratia:            with the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit:
Ut per eam a delictorum tenebris liberati,    That through him, liberated from the darkness of sin,
Vitae gloria perfruamur.            We may enjoy the glory of life.

GIB UNS HEUT’ UNSER TÄGLICH BROT - Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654)
Gib uns heut unser täglich Brot,        Give us this day our daily bread,
Und was man braucht zur Leibesnot;        that all our bodies' needs be fed;
B'hüt uns, Herr, vor Unfried und Streit,        protect us from unrest and strife,
Vor Seuchen und vor teurer Zeit,        from famine, plague, and evil times,
Daß wir in gutem Frieden stehn,        that we may peaceful times enjoy,
Der Sorg und Geizes müßig gehn!        care and greed go unemployed.

AUDI DOMINE HYMNUM - Givanni Gabrieli (ca.1555-1612)
Audi Domine hymnum et orationem         Hear, O Lord, the hymn and the prayer
quam servus tuus orat coram te hodie:        which your servant prays before you today:
ut sint oculi tui aperti et aures tuae        that your eyes may be open, and your ears attentive,
intendentes super domum istam        intently upon this house
die ac nocte.                     day and night.

LIETI SOLCANDO IL MARE - Cristofano Malvezzi (1547-1599)
Lieti solcando il mare                Happily furrowing the sea,
Cantiam compagni fidi                Let us sing faithful companions
ecco ch'il cielo                    Here to the sky
Ai nostri bei desir cortese aspira            our courtly desires aspire
Già fatto freddo gielo                already made icey by
L'infelice Arion l'anima spira            unhappy Arion’s spirit breathed
Dentr'a quell'acque hor noi            into these deep waters