The carol People, Look East was written by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965), and first published as Carol of Advent in Modern Texts Written for or Adapted to Traditional Tunes, in The Oxford Book of Carols (1928). Farjeon, a native of London, was a devout Catholic who viewed her faith as "a progression toward which her spiritual life moved rather than a conversion experience." She achieved acclaim as an author of children's nursery rhymes and singing games, and is best remembered for her poem Morning Has Broken. The tune to which People, Look East is sung, is the ancient carol Besançon (name after the city in eastern France), which first appeared in Christmas Carols New and Old (1871). In that collection it was the setting for Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep, and the tune was titled Chantons bargiés, noué, noué.
1. People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.
2. Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.
3. Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
God for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.
4. Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.
5. Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
[or . . . Angels announce to man and beast]
Christ who brings new life to earth.
[. . . Him who cometh from the East]
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
People, Look East - Atlanta Master Chorale (arr. by Malcom Archer)
People, Look East - Houston Chamber Choir (arr. Barry Ferguson)
People, Look East - Boy Choristers of Ely Cathedral Choir (arr. Paul Trepte) - a modern version
No comments:
Post a Comment