Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico

Subject: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 14 Jun 12 - 06:54 PM

Another addition from: Folk Songs of Many Lands, collected by J. Spencer Curwen (copyright 1911 J.Curwen & Sons)

A SONG OF MEXICO
Trad (apparently)

We claim a story old as ancient Egypt.
No poet's pen can compass its romance.
Our southern land has known the pangs of battle,
The feast of beauty and the mystic dance.
So wide, so free, the land that lies around us.
No narrow aims shall satisfy us here.
Untamed and free the world has ever found us.
Our foes may fear us,
We have naught to fear.

We hold with pride our forests vast and shady.
In nature's gifts our land the rest outvies.
Its harvests richer than all other harvests,
Its heavens bluer than all other skies.
Oh, hearts be true, the chain that galled is broken.
Be ours to keep our records bright and clear;
To Heav'n above our solemn vow be spoken.
The foe may fear us,
We will never fear.


X: 1
T: A Song of Mexico
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
O: Mexico
Z: NP 14/06/2012
K: E
B,/D>E| F>DF>G A>FA>B| c>BA>G z3/2B,/ E>F| G2-G>F G>A B>c| (c2-c/B/A/G/) F>B, E>F| G3B =AB cB| (F3_A/G/F) z/ B,/ E>F|G3F Ee ed| e4 cc AF|G3B =A>B _A>F| E4-E z/ B/ c>B|(B2-(3BA)F D>B c>d| e4 B>e f>e|e2d2 (3(dc)d (3(ed)c| (B4G) z/B/ B>=A|B3 G (3(G_A)B (3Bcd| e4 c>c A>F|G7/2 B/2 =A>B _A>F| E4-E|]
w: ||****We claim a sto-_ry old as an-cient E-____gypt, No po-et's pen can com-pass its ro-mance.___ Our south-ern land has known the pangs of bat-tle, The feast of beau-ty and the mys-tic dance._ So wide so free__ the land that lies a-round us No nar-row aims shall sat-*is-fy_ us here;_ Un-tam'd and free the world_ has ev-*er found us; Our foes may fear us, we have naught to fear._

---

link to source (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Haruo
Date: 14 Jun 12 - 07:04 PM

Do Mexicans really refer to their country as "[their] southern land"? Sounds rather US-ocentric off the top of my connotation gland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 14 Jun 12 - 07:23 PM

I'm guessing that if (as the book suggests) it is traditional, then it is also a (loose) translation.
However, with a quick look at a map of the Americas, Mexico is clearly to the south of a large land mass. The may think of themselves as southerners, or may write for the benefit of their major tourists/visitors, who will be from the North.

However, I make no claims. I just transcribed it as it seems a worthwhile tune. When we sang it in school it was definitely more legato than the sites for ABCs seems to render it!

Cheers

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 04:58 AM

Just heard (on Radio 2) Roy Orbison singing "She wears my ring". Clearly derivative. The Wiki entry says:
She Wears My Ring is a song written by Nashville songwriters husband and wife, Boudleaux (February 13, 1920 – June 25, 1987) & Felice Bryant (August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003) and recorded by Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Solomon King, and Australia's Johnny O'Keefe. The melody is based on La Golondrina a Mexican song composed by Narciso Serradel Sevilla.

Subject: ADD: La Golondrina (The Swallow)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:25 AM

There's a Web page on "La Golondrina" here, with a video and all sorts of information.

LA GOLONDRINA
(Narciso Serradel Sevilla)

A donde irá
Veloz y fatigada
La golondrina
Que de aquí se va
Por si en el viento
Se hallara extraviada
Buscando abrigo
Y no lo encontrara

Junto a mi lecho
Le pondré su nido
En donde pueda
La estación pasar
También yo estoy
En la región perdido
Oh Cielo Santo!
Y sin poder volar

Deje también
Mi patria idolatrada
Esa mansión
Que me miró nacer
Mi vida es hoy
Errante y angustida
Y ya no puedo
A mi mansión volver

Ave querida
Amada peregrina
Mi corazón
Al tuyo acercare
Voy recordando
Tierna golondrina
Recordare
Mi patria y llorare

lyrics from one of "those" lyrics sites with the popups:
http://lyrics.wikia.com/Caetano_Veloso:La_Golondrina

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 01:40 PM

Original words to "La Golondrina" by Narciso Serrandel Sevilla 1862 posted in thread 37278, 27 Apr 05; an early English revision by Westrup, c. 1883, posted in same thread.

There have been many "translations" of this song of exile, lyrics bearing little relation to the original, or lyrics that are entirely different, often love songs.

I haven't seen "Song of Mexico" before; it is a paean to Mexico, neither a love song nor one of exile. A musical motion picture of 1945 has that title, but I don't know the content.

I can't find anything similar to the song "collected" by Curwin and posted by Nigel in the "Cancionero Folklórico de México" (5 volumes, 1982) or other references that I have; I doubt that it is "trad." I suspect that the Curwin lyrics are his(?) own.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 06:22 PM

37278
La Golondrina

Lyrics posted above by Joe are verses 3-6 of the original song by Serradel Sevilla, as noted in the thread linked above, they are often omitted in sung versions.

The book by Curwen was published 1911 by G. Schirmer in the U.S. and Curwen and Sons in London. Nabu Press reprinted it in 2011. The cover of the London edition says "the words are by F. Hoare, J. Guard, K. T. Sizer, G. Bennett, &c., Accompaniments by P. E. Fletcher.

Nigel's song seemingly is one of those school song book revisions with lyrics by various authors that bear no relationship to those of the original song, I don't know whose name is attached to it; access to the online copy is restricted for "copyright reasons."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 02:41 PM

The "Folk Songs of Many Lands" shows (top left in lyricist's position) "F.H." so presumably the words are by Florence Hoare, one of the contributors to the book.

As I said in my second post to the discussion, mainly posted for the benefit of posting the tune.

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Song of Mexico
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Aug 15 - 12:59 AM

Thanks for posting the tune, Nigel. It looks scary, but isn't really. Here's a video with a clear rendition of the tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvNRkJ5Ufgo