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La fe coumando de crèire , (bis) (Faith commands to believe) Lyrics and music by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
This Christmas carol has been published on 1670 in the 4th book. This book indicates “nouvé vièi pèr empli lou cahié” (old Christmas carol to fill the book). It appears with number 32 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
1st verse |
La fe coumando de crèire Ce que noun couneissèn pas Sènso dire : « Iéu vole vèire » Coume disié sant Toumas. Tous lei mort dòu çamentèri N’en rèn vist dins lei mistèri E jamai gis d’ome viéu Saura lei secrèt de Diéu. | | Faith commands to believe What we don’t know Without saying: “I want to see” As was saying Saint Thomas. All the dead in the graveyard Have seen nothing in the mysteries And never no alive man Will know God’s secrets. |
2nd verse |
Sènso leis ange e leis astre Qu’an di que Diéu èro na, Ni lei mage ni lei pastre L’aurien jamai devina. Pèr cacha la couneissènço De sa divino neissènço, A vougu naisse la nue, Lorsqu’aurian sarra leis ue. | | Without angels and stars Who have said that God was born, Neither the Magi nor the shepherds Could guess that. To hide knowledge Of his divine birth, He has wanted to be born [during] the night, When we would have shut our eyes. |
3rd verse |
Quand pren Marìo pèr maire, Mostro soun umanita ; Quand pren Jòusè pèr soun paire, Cacho sa divinita. Quand vèn naisse dins l’estable, N’es que pèr troumpa lou diable, Que noun s’imagino pas Qu’un Diéu naisse dins un jas. | | When he takes Mary as his mother, He shows his humanity; When he takes Joseph to [be] his father, He hides his divinity. When he comes to be born in the cowshed, It’s only to trick the devil, Who doesn’t imagine A God [could] be born in a shelter. |
4th verse |
Pèr counèisse sa naturo E sei bèllei qualita, Fau vèire dins l’Escrituro Lei présent que li an pourta : L’or, segound que dis l’istòri, Mostro qu’es un rèi de glòri E la mirro emé l’encèn Qu’es ome e Diéu tout ensèn. | | To know his nature And his beautiful qualities, We have to see in the Scripture The gifts brought him: Gold, according to what history says, Shows he is a king of glory And myrrh with incense That he is both man and God together. |
5th verse |
Si Diéu nous fasié la gràci Qu’un jour, dins lou fiermamen, Pousquessian vèire sa fàci, Dirian veritablamen Que lei mort dòu çamentèri N’an rèn vist dins lei mistèri E jamai gis d’ome viéu Saura lei secrèt de Diéu. | | If God granted us favour That a day, in the firmament, We would be capable to see his face, We would really say That the dead in the graveyard Have seen nothing in the mysteries And never no alive man Will know God’s secrets. |
Bibliography | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Histori de la naissenso dou Fis de Diou composado en noé (History of God’s Son birth composed in Christmas carols), Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1670, p. 14-16. | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 38-39. |
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