Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)

Subject: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Nov 07 - 09:18 PM

RIU, RIU, CHIU (Villancico a 4)
Anon., Cancionero de Uppsala, Venice, 1556
Now attrib. Mateo Flecha (El Viejo)
Lyrics ed. Paco Marmol & Manolo Casaus

Coro
Riu, riu, chiu, la guarda ribera,
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera,
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera.

1.
El lobo rabioso la quiso morder,
Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender,
Quisola hacer que no pudiese pecar,
Ni aun original esta Virgen no tu viera.
2.
Este qu'es nacido es el gran monarca,
Christo patriarca, de carne vestido;
hanos redimido con se hacer chiquito,
a un qu'era infinito, finito se hiziera.
3.
Muchas profecias lo han profetizado,
Ya un nuestros dias lo hemos al consado
Adios humanado vemos en el suelo,
Y al hombre nelcielo porquel le quistera.
4.
Yo vi mil garzones que andaban cantando,
por aqui volando, haciendo mil sones,
diciendo a gascones: "Gloria sea en el cielo
y paz en el suelo," pues de sus nasciera.
5.
Este viene a dar a los muertos vida
y viene a reparar de todos la caída;
en la luz del dia aqueste mozuelo;
este es el cordero que San Juan dixera.
6.
Mira bien queos quadre que ansina lo oyera,
Que Dios no pudiera hacer la mas que madre,
El quera su padre hoy della nascio
Y el que la drio su hijo so dixera.
7.
Pues que ya tenemos lo que deseamos,
todos juntos vamos, presentes llevemos;
todos le daremos muestra voluntad,
pues a se igualar con el hombre viniera.

---

Partial free English translation

The river bank protects it-
As God kept the wolf from our lamb.

The rabid wolf tried to bite her
But God almighty defended her.
He wished to create her impervious to sin
Nor was this maid to embody original sin.

He who is now born is the mighty monarch,
Christ, our Holy Father, clad in flesh,
Has brought atonement by being born humble;
Though He is immortal, as mortal was created.

4.
I saw a thousand herons, singing, passing overhead,
With a thousand voices, exhulting,
"Glory be in the heavens, and peace on earth,
For Jesus has been born."

I will try and find a more satisfactory translation but most singing versions in English are abbreviated.

Links to Sheet music and versions, some with midi, at:
Riu Riu Chiu

Mateo Flecha (1481-1553) was born in Tarragona, a Catalan. At least one album of his compositions is available on cd; ensaladas mostly (a lyrical style employing different metrical forms but not really a medley), a form of which I am ignorant.

The lyrics in Mudcat DT are incomplete. Those posted by Trevor are much better, lacking only one verse (thread 106256). Spanish Pronunciation

Subject: Translation: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Nov 07 - 11:40 PM

RIU, RIU, CHIU
English translation

Chorus
Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it.
As God kept the wolf
from our lamb.

1.
The rabid wolf tried to bite her,
But God Almighty knew how to defend her,
He wished to create her impervious to sin,
Noe was this maid to embody original sin.
2.
The newborn child is the mightiest monarch,
Christ patriarchal invested with flesh.
He made himself small and so redeemed us:
He who was infinite became finite.
3.
Many prophecies told of his coming,
And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled.
God became man, on earth we behold him,
And see man in heaven because he so willed.
4.
A thousand singing herons I saw passing,
Flying overhead, sounding a thousand voices,
Exhulting, "Glory be in the heavens, and peace
on earth, for Jesus has been born."
5.
He comes to give life to the dead,
He comes to redeem the fall of man;
This child is the light of day,
He is the very lamb Saint John prophecied.
6.
Mira bien queos quadre que ansina lo oyera,-
(No translation offered for this verse)
7.
Now we have gotten what we were all desiring,
Go we together to bear him gifts:
Let each give his will to the God who was willing
To come down to Earth man's equal to be.

Chorus sung after each verse.

Music of the Renaissance. Riu Chiu lyrics
The site offers five versions including Chanticleer and Cuarteto Zupay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Nov 07 - 11:58 PM

Notes on Cancionero de Uppsala, original publication, says lyrics were in Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan. I can find only Spanish lyrics for this carol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 03:43 AM

Being familiar with versions of this song from the great Spanish early music groups such as Atrium Musicae de Madrid & Hesperion XX, here I find (to my delight) a version sung by that celebrated Anglo-American Ensemble... The Monkees!

Riu Riu Chiu

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 03:46 AM

This one's better: The Monkees - Riu Riu Chiu

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 01:19 PM

Not up to a good sing in the shower, but amusing!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 05:46 PM

Aah've had this song on an album caalled 'CHORALE' by a band of the same name. Aah bought it in 1979

It's done with a very laid back acapella intro then builds to a massive orchestral finale.

Crackin' version by the Monkees though!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Genie
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 02:19 PM

Here are some very nice YouTubes (some videos, others just audio files) of this song:

Villancico, Riu Riu Chiu performed by Kalenda Maya


a cappella septet singing Riu Riu Chiu

The Monkees a cappella   I wanted to find the Kingston Trio's version (sung more in contemporary Spanish, I think, and with the title "Guardo El Lobo) because I like hearing this song done by just a few voices instead of a whole choir, but I couldn't find it.   The Monkees' recording is quite nice.

This is the "singable" English "Translation" that accompanies this You Tube.   I think the "translator" has thrown in a bit of Catholic theology that isn't stated in the original lyrics, but it's interesting to see an English lyric version that 'scans' properly.
(Maybe someone can tweak the singable lyrics a bit to make them closer to a real translation.)

River, roaring river, guard our homes in safety,
God has kept the black wolf from our lamb, our lady.
God has kept the black wolf from our lamb, our lady.

Raging mad to bite her, there the wolf did steal,
But our God almighty defended her with zeal.
Pure he wished to keep her so she could never sin,
That first sin of man never touched the virgin sainted.

River, roaring river...

He who's now begotten is our mighty monarch,
Christ, our holy father, in human flesh embodied.
He has brought atonement by being born so humble,
Though he is immortal, as mortal was created.

River, roaring river...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 04:53 PM

Thanks for the links, folks!! What a beautiful song and how lovely to hear the Monkees singing it!

DMcG, thanks for the links ot the sheet music and midis, too!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Monique
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 05:35 AM

What I came up to with verse #6 is

Be sure to take for truth that it'd been thus heard*
That God could not make her more a mother
He who was her father was born to her today
And he who raised her claims to be her son.

* could someone lend a hand on this "que ansina lo oyera"? Which is word to word "that thus it (object, not subject)... had heard/would hear" (at that time the subjunctive imperfect in -ra more often was what today is an indicative pluperfect, nowadays it's used in literature, I never heard it used in everyday life but I'm not the Spanish speaking world all by myself)

Q, could this mention about Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese mean that there are songs in Spanish, others in Catalan and others in Portuguese and not that all songs are in the three languages? Some songs (4) are indeed in Catalan and one in Galician -which is a Portuguese dialect and not a Spanish one though Galicia is now in Spain

Subject: ADD: GUARDO EL LOBO (Riu, Riu, chiu)
From: Allan C.
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 06:08 AM

Here are the lyrics as sung by the Kingston Trio:

GUARDO EL LOBO
Eric Schwandt

Riu, riu, chiu, la guarda ribera.
Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera.
Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera.

Chorus:
Riu, riu, chiu, la guarda ribera,
Dios guardo el lobo, el lobo de nuestra cordera,
Dios guardo el lobo, el lobo de nuestra cordera.

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder,
mas dios podero so la su po defender.
Wuiso le hacer que no pudies se pecar,
niaun original esta virgen no tuviera.

(Chorus)

Este qu'es nacido es el gran monarca
Cristo patriarca de carne vestido
Ha nos redimido con se hacer chiquito,
que era infinito, finito se hiciera.

(Chorus)

Este viene a dar a los muertos vida,
y viene a reparar de todos la caida,
Es la luz del dia a que este mozuelo
este es el cordero que San Juan dijera.

(Chorus)

Yo vi mil garzones que andavan cantando,
por aqui volando haciendo mil sones
Diciendo a garzones gloria sea en el cielo,
y paz en el suelo pues Jesus naciera.

(Chorus)

Pues que ya tenemos lo que desamos
todos juntos vamos presentes llevemos,
Todos le daremos nuestra voluntad,
pues a se iqualar con nosotros viniera.

(Chorus)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 07:13 AM

verse 4 starts like this
herons by the thousand i see flying singing!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 07:14 AM

Nice to see this thread revived; still love The Monkees version!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 07:50 PM

The Kingston Trio lyrics (above) don't seem quite right to me. Can anybody offer corrections.

At least one of the Monkees links above is now dead - Click here for another.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Riu, Riu, chiu (Villancico a 4)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 02:14 AM

verse six:
What they've been foretelling, all must say the same now:   (cuadrar: to agree, add up)
God could not have made her any more a mother:
She has borne today the One who was her Father
He who her created, is said to be her son!