Digging Through the Notes: Twelve Days (Before) Christmas

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Twelve Days (Before) Christmas

Day 9 - Tu scendi dalle stelle [Italy]

Although we know the music and lyrics of Tu scendi dalle stelle were written by the Neapolitan bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian Alphonsus Liguori, it’s not common knowledge that today’s carol was inspired by the Neapolitan folksong Quanno nascette Ninno a Bettlemme (When the baby was born in Bethlehem) - sometimes referred to as the Carol of the Bagpipers (Canzone d'i zampognari) - and that Alphonsus was the first priest to write lyrics for a religious song in dialect. Some scholars believe that Alphonsus, a gifted musician, wrote the music and lyrics (in dialect) while staying at the Convent of the Consolation in Deliceto, a town in the province of Foggia, and that only later did Pope Pius IX translate Alphonsus’ lyrics into Italian. Others think that Alphonsus wrote two versions, one with lyrics in dialect and one with lyrics in Italian, at the same time.

Tu scendi dalle stelle has seven verses. Its lyrics, however, are far from joyous, much less concerned with the joy of Baby Jesus’ birth than with the heart-rending sacrifice of his death to save mankind.

Tu scendi dalle stelle o Re del Cielo
     [You come down from the stars, Oh, King of Heavens]
E vieni in una grotta al freddo al gelo.
     [And You come in a cave in the cold, in the frost]
O Bambino mio Divino
[Oh, my Divine Baby]
Io ti vedo qui a tremar,
     [I see you trembling here]
O Dio Beato!
     [Oh, Blessed God]
Ah, quanto ti costò l'avermi amato.
     [Ah, how much it costs You, your loving me]

            You can find the rest of the English translation here

A te che sei del mondo, il Creatore,
Mancano panni e fuoco, o mio Signore.
Caro eletto pargoletto,
Quanto questa povertà
Più mi innamora,
Giacchè ti fece amor povero ancora.

Tu lasci il bel gioir del divin seno,
per giunger a penar su poco fieno.
Dolce amore del mio core,
dove amore Ti trasportò?
O Gesù mio,
Perché tanto patir? Per amor mio!

Ma se fu Tuo volere il Tuo patire,
Perché vuoi pianger poi, perché vagire?
Mio Gesù, T'intendo sì!
Ah, mio Signore!
Tu piangi non per duol, ma per amore.

Tu piangi per vederti da me ingrato
dove sì grande amor, sì poco amato!
O diletto del mio petto,
Se già un tempo fu così,
or Te sol bramo.
caro non pianger più, ch'io T'amo e T'amo.

Tu dormi, Ninno mio, ma intanto il core
non dorme, no, ma veglia a tutte l'ore.
Deh, mio bello e puro Agnello
a che pensi? Dimmi tu.
O amore immenso!
"Un dì morir per Te", rispondi, "io penso".

Dunque a morire per me, Tu pensi, o Dio:
e chi altro, fuor di Te, amar poss'io?
O Maria, speranza mia,
se poc'amo il Tuo Gesù,
non Ti sdegnare.
Amalo tu per me, s'io nol so amare!