La Reverdie - De luscinia

La Reverdie
"De luscinia" (attr. Fulbert de Chartres)

CD:
"O Tu Chara Scienca - Musique de la Pensee Medievale"
(Arcana, 1993)


The golden lyre makes beautiful tones resound, every string has its place in the principal tone of the hypodorian mode.

Let us sing praises to the nightingale with the sounds of the instruments, striking up a sweet melody as he teaches us, without whose art no song has any merit.

When the seedlings push up through the earth in spring, and the woodland trees everywhere put out new leaves, a most sweet fragrance rises from the flowers.

The nightingale rejoices in his sweet song and opening wide his throat pours forth a song to welcome the summer season.

His tuneful song continues by day and by night; its varied sounds send the drowsy to sleep and bring a sweet relief to the weary wanderer.

The beauty of his voice, more harmonious than the lyre, conquers with its song the whole company of the birds, filling the woods and fields with trills.

It rises on wings to the very tops of the trees, becoming bold with the joys of spring, and strengthens the children's festive songs.

O Happy season, in which there is such glorious harmony. Oh, if only the sweet nightingale could exercise his art all the twelve months round.

Oh you dear little bird, don't even stop singing. The music of the monochord best fits your melodious song, for it reiterates your praises in the diatonic gamut.

The voice of the lyre cannot imitate your trills, and the bagpipe cannot match your clear tone, because you produce a torrent of wonderful melodies.

I don't want you to pause, but always to give tongue to joyful harmonies. for which you will be praised even in kings' palaces.

To you must yield the birdsnarer who sings in the shadow of the undergrowth, the swan with its sweet melody, and the players of drum and flute.

And though your body is tiny everybody listens to you, and nobody helps you save the King of Heaven, who rules the univers.

Now we have given you sufficient praise and honour, rejoicing in the song and the rhythmic words, enjoyed by scholars and festivals.

And now it is time for our harmonious voice to rest, so that the monotony of the song should not weary the tongue or make the ear lazy like the sound of the lyre.

May God, three persons in one essence, in his mercy preserve and guide you and grant that you may reign with him im heaven, Amen.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• la
• reverdie
• medieval
• music
• bestiary
• 古楽
• 中世

[badoocee]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[voxhunden]

Those lyrics are really fantastic!