The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #28520   Message #354394
Posted By: John P
10-Dec-00 - 08:52 AM
Thread Name: French And German Carols.
Subject: RE: French And German Carols.
Here is some information about some of them that I found in "The International Book of Christmas Carols" by Walter Ehret and George K. Evans.

Il est ne le Divin Enfant. "The Divine Infant is Born." We have a carol with this tune in our hymnal.
If that is the name of the song in your hymnal, it is probably a translation of the French carol. Words are anonymous from the 19th century, music from the 18th.

Marche Des Rois Mages "March of the Wise Men???"
The March of the Kings; the words are listed as traditional and the melody is a 13th century Provencal carol.

March of the Kings

This great day, I met upon the way,
The Kings of East as they came riding proudly,
This great day, I met upon the way,
The Kings of East with all their fine array.
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,
Were guarded close by a band of sturdy warriors,
Their swords, their shields, and their bucklers bright,
A-gleam and sparkling in the morning light.

Als ich meinen schafen wacht
"While By My Sheep", words: traditional German; music: Trier Gesangbuch, 1871. The words are about a shepherd who is expressing joy that Jesus has been born. Lots of joy. Joy joy joy.

John