Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris
| "Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris" | |
|---|---|
| Carol | |
 | |
| English | "Between the ox and the grey donkey" |
| Genre | Christmas carol |
| Language | French |
| Based on | Isaiah 1:3 |
"Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris" (Between the ox and the grey donkey), also known as "Le sommeil de l'enfant Jésus" (The sleep of baby Jesus) is a French Christmas carol. One of the oldest extant carols, it has been dated to both the 13th and the 16th centuries.[1]
The supposed presence of the two animals at the birth of Jesus may have its origin in the Book of Isaiah chapter 1 verse 3: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."[2]
Tunes
[edit]Traditional melody[3]
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d4 d8 e f4 f8[( g]) | g4. a8 a2 | c a | g8 a bes g a2 |
a8^"Refrain" bes c d a2 | g8 f g a f2 | g8 f g a bes4 g8 f | e4. d8 d2 \bar "|."
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\addlyrics {
En -- tre le bœuf et l’â -- ne gris dort, dort, dort le pe -- tit fils.
Mille an -- ges di -- vins, mil -- le sé -- ra -- phins vo -- lent à l’en -- tour de ce Dieu d’a -- mour.
}
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\midi { \tempo 4 = 90 }
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Version by François-Auguste Gevaert:[4]
Lyrics
[edit]Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Refrain:
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
volent à l'entour de ce dieu d'amour.
Entre les deux bras de Marie
dort, dort, dort le fruit de vie.
Refrain
Entre les roses et les lys
dort, dort, dort le petit fils.
Refrain
Entre les pastoureaux jolis
dort, dort, Jésus qui sourit.
Refrain
En ce beau jour si solennel
Dort, dort, dort l'Emmanuel.
Refrain
Between the ox and the grey donkey
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
Refrain:
A thousand divine angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around this great God of love.
Between the two arms of Mary
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the fruit of life.
Refrain
Between the roses and the lilies,
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.
Refrain
Amidst the gentle shepherds
Sleeps, sleeps Jesus who smiles.
Refrain
On this beautiful, so solemn day
Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps Emmanuel.
Refrain
References
[edit]- ^ "«Christmas hits»: les chansons incontournables de Noël | JOL Journalism Online Press". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31.
- ^ "ISAIAH 1:3 KJV "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."".
- ^ "Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris", Lieder Project, Carus-Verlag, SWR2
- ^ "The Sleep of the Infant Jesus", hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com [failed verification]
External links
[edit]
French Wikisource has original text related to this article: Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris- Free scores of "Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris" (traditional, Gevaert) in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
