Mediæval Bæbes - Adam Lay Ibounden

[Raven9619]

Medieval Baebes is by far the best interpretation i have heard but then, I'm biased toward a darker more ancient sound than the "gospel" versions

[Raven9619]

The text was originally meant to be a song text, although no music survives. However, there are many notable 20th century choral settings of the text, with diverse interpretations by several English composers, including Peter Warlock,[10] John Ireland,[11] Boris Ord,[12] Philip Ledger,[13] Carson Cooman[14] and Benjamin Britten (titled Deo Gracias in his Ceremony of Carols).[

[Raven9619]

The third verse suggests the subsequent redemption of man by the birth of Jesus Christ by Mary, who was to become the Queen of Heaven as a result,[6] and thus the song concludes on a positive note hinting at Thomas Aquinas' concept of the "felix culpa" (blessed fault).[5] Paul Morris suggests that the text's evocation of Genesis implies a "fall upwards.[7

[Raven9619]

Adam lay ybounden relates the events of Genesis, Chapter 3. In medieval theology, Adam was supposed to have remained in bonds with the other patriarchs in the limbus patrum from the time of his death until the crucifixion of Christ (the "4000 winters").[4] The second verse narrates the Fall of Man following Adam's temptation by Eve and the serpent. John Speirs suggests that there is a tone of astonishment, almost incredulity in the phrase "and all was for an apple",

[Raven9619]

"Adam lay ybounden", originally titled Adam lay i-bowndyn[1] is a 15th century macaronic English text of unknown authorship. The manuscript on which the poem is found, (Sloane 2593, ff.10v-11), is held by the British Library, who date the work to c.1400 and speculate that the lyrics may have belonged to a wandering minstrel;

[Raven9619]

Middle English converted[

Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bond;

Four thousand winter, Thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple, An apple that he took.

As clerkes finden, Written in their book

Ne had the apple taken been, The apple taken been,

Ne had never our ladie, Abeen heav'ne queen.

Blessed be the time That apple taken was,

Therefore we moun singen. Deo gracias!

[Raven9619]

Middle English original spelling[8]

Adam lay i-bowndyn, bowndyn in a bond,

Fowre thowsand wynter thowt he not to long

And al was for an appil, an appil that he tok.

As clerkes fyndyn wretyn in here book.

Ne hadde the appil take ben, the appil taken ben,

Ne hadde never our lady a ben hevene quen

Blyssid be the tyme that appil take was!

Therefore we mown syngyn Deo gracias!

[IWishIWasWhiteAgain]

They are singing it wrong. I have seen the original sheets, and I am actually singing this in my church.

[Ch405ThE0ry]

@IWishIWasWhiteAgain

Actually, the original tune is unknown, so this version is just as valid as the one that you know. I've never heard this version before either: I expect they made it up. It's gorgeous anyway.

[IWishIWasWhiteAgain]

@Ch405ThE0ry I rather dislike this version though.

[Ch405ThE0ry]

@IWishIWasWhiteAgain

To each their own.

[LAHFaust]

Looks like it could very well be Scots.

[VictorLepanto]

You've gotta work on it a bit, but if you pronounce the words out loud & slur them about a few different ways, you can usually figure out wha they are saying. Medieval people loved Our Lady, they lived in a better world then our own.

[gateen22]

I've looked for this song for a week! I love it

[coinmaster32]

I freaking love this song

[londonarnold]

This is the original debut album version with the drumbeat - I saw this lovely band at Blackheath Halls, South London in about 1998, also Glastonbury Festival - superb!

[sakucita]

Remember me the soundtrack from Arjuna's animation ;3

[Franky20077]

very good!! Thank you!!

[ChamelionCircuit]

I loved this song when I was little. Now, it scared the shit out of me. Yet I still remember all the lyrics and even the little gothic dance I made up to go with it.

I was a scary child.

[nazimova]

lol

[0SgtRoadkill0]

pics or it didn't happen

[TrustKismet1]

@ChamelionCircuit erm yeah lol

[LateMarch]

Right - its almost the same as our English. But the pronunciation is very different.

[yamiyugikun]

Is this middle english singing?

[beowulfsword08]

yes, but it is practically the same as Old Englisc bar a few words

[eremon01]

@beowulfsword08 Old English or anglo Saxon was a lot early. It's more Germanic and harder to understand - look at beowulf - this is middle english, it came about after the norman invasion 1066 and has a lot of our modern words which derived from french and latin. But it is an older version of our modern English :) lovely lanuages both of them

[beowulfsword08]

@eremon01 Yes but if translated and sung it would sound exactly the same, there are no French words in this song at all, all are Englisc words except for the Latin at the end. I have studied A-S, this may be Middle Englisc but all the words are of Saxon origin. A-S is not that difficult if you have knowledge of Dutch and German.

[eremon01]

@beowulfsword08 ....oh i agree a lot of the words themselves have drived from the OE...'four' 'thousand' 'winter' for example...but some of the words have come from Norman, Latin and sometimes old norse...'blessed', 'lady', 'clerk', ... it is an english carol written at the time middle english was spoken, when language was literally half way between OE and and early version of modern english. That's why it has elements of both.

[oetpay]

@yamiyugikun yes it is, about the fifteenth century if i remember rightly.

[zappbrannigan420]

@yamiyugikun I'm not a hundred percent, but I think its old english actually. The usage of cwen for queen for instance is a hallmark of old anglo-saxon.

[zappbrannigan420]

@yamiyugikun Actually I take that back, a lot of the words aren't in proper O.E. forms, despite the presence of others.

[Sahwyn29]

@yamiyugikun Yes, I believe the text was first written in the 1400's, which is definitely well after Old English, but before modern English which is considered to start around 1550.

[TheCSWright]

@yamiyugikun

Yes, it is a 15th Century poem or carol, and so is in Middle English.

[prettygunneryuna]

AWESOME!

[noskrymo]

damn good :)

[rossonmichael]

i agree

is this cd salva nos har to find

[lunaorla]

No, it's easy to find - try amazon