Lyr Add: Huron Carol

Subject: Lyr Add: HURON CAROL
From: Marion
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 04:04 PM

Ok, here are lyrics to the Huron Carol. The tune is great, very minor; sheet music can be found in the hymnbook of the Anglican Church of Canada (the older, blue books) if you know where to put your hands on one of those. There are Huron words as well, but don't ask me for them. I found the use of Latin a little odd, but that's life.

HURON CAROL

Twas in the moon of wintertime, when all the birds had fled
The mighty Gitche Manitou sent angel choirs instead
Before their light the stars grew dim
And wondering hunters heard the hymn...

Chorus:
Jesus your king is born,
Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found
A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round
And as the hunter braves drew nigh
The angel song rang loud and high....

The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on the helpless infant there
The chiefs from far before him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt...

Oh children of the forest free, oh sons of Manitou
The holy child of heaven and earth is born this day to you
Come kneel before the radiant boy
Who brings you beauty, peace, and joy...
^^

Subject: Tune Add: HURON CAROL
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 04:10 PM

I could have sworn this was where I got this two years ago, but evidently not.

so here is the midi and abc for the melody line

MIDI file: huron2c.mid

Timebase: 192

Name: huronc2
Text: Generated by NoteWorthy Composer
TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Start
0288 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0128 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0128 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0142 0 72 000 0002 1 70 110 0046 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 63 110 0094 0 63 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0336 0 67 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:huronc2
M:2/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
D8|G2A2^A2c2|^A2A2G2F2|G2G2A2F2|G6D2|G2A2^A2c2|
^A2A2G2F2|G2^A2A2F2|G6G2|d2d2A2^A2|c3^AA2A2|
^A2A2G2G2|A2F2G2F2|D2G2G4|F2^D2D4|G4F2D2|
G4G2A2|^A2c2d2D2|G7||

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Barry Taylor
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 04:34 PM

Here is the story of the author of lyrics The Huron Carol... Father Jean de Brebeuf (1593 - 1649). I understand that the melody was a French tune that he adapted so that he could share his message with the Huron people. This song is a musical legacy that is probably the oldest "Canadian" tune on record, predating the birth of the country itself by about 230 years.

I have a midi with French and English lyrics here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 11:46 PM

Thank you kindly, and if I ever get the hang of blue clicky things and red clicky things, I daresay I shall be even more grateful..

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 05:54 PM

Thanks for reminding me of this. Does anyone in the UK have the piano accompaniment published by the BBC in Singing Together? Our tidying has tidied it away.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Amaranth
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 11:09 PM

Tom Jackson, a First Nations performer from Manitoba, sponsors a concert using the same name. The first was a failure but now the concert performs in major centres across Canada every Christmas season ... all profits go to homeless shelters and food banks. He has released a recording of Huron Carol and other songs the profits of which go to the same causes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Barry Taylor
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 01:01 AM

Talk about timing, Penny! While surfing today I tripped across Piano notation for this tune as well as the lyrics in three languages. The file is downloadable in PDF format, which you can print with the (free) Acrobat Reader.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 07:35 AM

Thanks Barry, I'm having a bit of trouble getting at it, though.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 02:39 PM

Here's what it's like in Huron, as written by Jean de Brebeuf. (The "8" is not a misprint - it's the way of writing a sound that we don't exactly have in English - "The Hurons have no M. "8arie" = "Ouarie" = "Marie"):

Estennialon de tson8e Ies8s ahatonnia!
Onna8ate8a d'oki n'on8andask8aentak
Ennonchien sk8atrihotat n'on8andilonrachatha
Ies8s ahatonnia!

Aloki onkinnhache eronhialeronnon
Iontonk ontatiende ndio sen tsatonnharonnion
8arie onna8ak8eton ndio sen tsatonnharonnion
Ies8s ahatonnia!

Te ek8atennonten ahek8achiendaen
Ti hek8annonronk8annion de son8entenrade
8toleti skannonh8e ichierhe akennonhonstha
Ies8s ahatonnia!

The translation that came with it is from "A Christams Book", published in 1928, by DB Wyndham Lewis and GC Heseltine is as follows:

O mortal men, take courage! Jesus is born.
Now the reign of the Enemy is destroyed
Hear ye no more what he whispwers to your souls.
Jesus is born.

Listen to the angels in tye skies!
Do not now reject what they proclaim to you!
Mary has borne the Greta Spirit, as they foretell.
Jesus is born.

Now let uis all come and pray to Him,
Adore him! He has granted our desire.
Hear him! He wishes you to be good.
Jesus is born!

If there are any Huron speakers, maybe they could say which translation is more accurate.

It looks a brilliant language, doesn't it? like something out of Lord of the Rings, probably some kind of Elvish or even more, Entish.

Of course with Tolkien, that might not have been accidental, he did his linguistic research seriously, and where would you find a more appropriate model for wood dwellers than in the Great Woods?

^^

Incidentally someone back in the thread said that snow mand ice don't match with being born in Palestine. Not true, they tell me - up in the Palestinian hills it's not uncommon to get them in midwinter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Kernow John
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 07:03 PM

Penny
I have just scanned the pages from Singing Togetherand they are zipped and ready if you'll let me know an email addres to post 'em to. Regards Baz

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Susan A-R
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 11:07 PM

I saw the thread name for this one a few days ago, and this morning found myself singing the first verse on the way to work over the snow. Thanks for the rest of the words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Penny S.
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 07:32 AM

I'm logged on as another user, so I can't leave a personal message, but I'll get back BAZ, and let you know where to send to.

Thanks. I've got one setting which uses a simulated Am chord drum beat most of the way through, but it gets a bit boring after a while.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Vixen
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 09:40 AM

Please Help--

I d/l the files from the site linked above, unzipped them, and read them, but I can't seem to print them. When they are open, the print option is grayed out, and when I try to print them from the desktop, I get an error to the effect that printing is an unauthorized operation.

How can I get these files in hard copy? The carol is beautiful and I'd like to learn it.

V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: MMario
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 11:54 AM

what program are you using to open the files?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Vixen
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 01:25 PM

MMario, I'm using adobe acrobat 3.0. It will allow me to print other things, but not these two files. I tried to use "insert object" to insert them as pdfs into word and print from word, but I can't do that either, though I can't recall the error I got when I tried it.

any ideas?

V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: MMario
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 01:44 PM

yup....those files are print protected.....

I have a jpg of score I can send. [e-mail] if you want me to e-mail you back a jpg.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 08:35 PM

From Folk Songs of Canada by Fowkes and Johnston.

"Jesous Ahotonhio" (now known simply as "The Huron Corol") is the first Canadian Christmas carol-—and probably the first corol of the New World. It is perhops the most represontotive of oil Canadian folk songs (or it symbolizes our triple heritoge: it wos written In the Huron language to a French tune, and is todoy widely known through its Engli»h translation

The words ore believed to hove been composed by Folher Jean de Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary who worked among the Huron Indians from 1626 to 1649. (The Huron county stretched between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Boy, about fifty miles northwest of Toronto). Using the tune of a sixteenth-century French carol, "Une jeune pucelle" ("A Young Maiden"), Father Brebeuf told the Christmas story in terms the Indians would understand, speaking of Jesus as "the Great Spirit" and of the Wise Men as "three chiefs". His carol was probably sung first in 1641 or 1642, and thereafter each Christmas until 1649. In that year the Iroquois invaded Huronio, killing or driving out the Hurons, and torturing Fathers Brebeuf and Lalement at the stake. Some of the Hurons escaped to Lorette, near Quebec City, and it was from their descendants that another Jesuit, Father de Villeneuve, heard the carol and wrote it down about a century later. Then it was translated into French under the title. "Jesus est ne". and sung in that form in Quebec. In 1926 a Canadian poet. J. E. Middleton, wrote the English words, which are on interpretation rather than a literal translation of the original.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Allan C.
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 09:24 PM

This is a totally great song! It was because of my enthusiasm for it and another song I learned here on the Mudcat (I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas) that I was able to get past my fear and to make my stage debut after having been away from it for about twenty years. This took place almost exactly a year ago.

Thanks Mudcat!!

Allan C.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: GUEST,John in Brisbane
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 05:13 AM

Well done Allan! Peforming and entertaining others is a great gift. Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: sian, west wales
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 07:58 AM

If anyone in Britain wants a faxed copy, I could arrange that ... but not til next week. I've got the necessaries at home, but won't be back in the office (and fax) until Monday...

sian, west wales

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: GUEST,Marion
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 04:22 PM

Does anyone know the French words, and when the French translation was done? I'm looking for Christmas songs that would have been sung in Canada in the 1860's or earlier (a period music gig). I see from John's research that the English version isn't old enough, but maybe the French is.

Thanks, Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: MMario
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 04:42 PM

the french would be - early 1800's if I recall correctly; possibly earlier

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 05:02 PM

Well if it was written by Fr Jean de Brebeuf in French and then turned into Huron, that would have been mid-seventeenth century of course. But maybe there'd be a later translation back from the Huron.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Barry T
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 09:26 PM

McGrath has it right. The original version of the tune was in French and dates from around 1642. It was then translated into Huron to help introduce members of that nation to Christianity.

The French lyrics are available on my relocated tunebook site.

The English version we recognize today is a relatively recent iteration, having been crafted in 1926 by Canadian poet J.E. Middleton.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Genie
Date: 18 Sep 02 - 11:35 PM

If anyone has ready access to "Singing The Living Tradition," (the current Unitarian-Universalist Hymnal), the song is there--1st 2 verses only, of course ;-). They have the refrain as "Jesous Ahatonia, Jesous Ahatonia."

This is one of my favorite Christmas song, and I'd love to have either the French lyrics or a vocal rendition of the Huron lyrics. (I haven't a clue as to how to pronounce the Huron words, and I wouldn't try it from just a printed "pronunciation guide.")

I'm having trouble accessing some of the links you folks have provided. It may be just temporary technical difficulty. I'll try again later.

Genie

Subject: Lyr Add: JÉSUS EST NÉ
From: Barry T
Date: 19 Sep 02 - 12:53 AM

In case you can't make the connection, Genie (and for the benefit of future visitors to this thread...

Jésus est né

Chrétiens, prenez courage
Jésus Sauveur est né
Du malin les ouvrages
Ajamais sont ruinés
Quand il chante merveille
A ces troublants appas
Ne pretez plus l'oreille
Jésus est né, in excelsis gloria!

Oyez cette nouvelle
Dont un ange est portuer
Oyez, âmes fidèles
Et dilatez vos coeurs
La Vierge dans l'étable
Entoure de ses bras
L'Enfant-Dieu adorable
Jésus est né, in excelsis gloria!

Voici que trois Rois Mages
Perdus en Orient
Déchiffrent ce message
Ecrit au firmament
L'astre nouveau les hante
Ils la suivrant là-bas
Cette étoile marhante
Jésus est né, in excelsis gloria!

Jésus leur met en tête
Que L'Etoile en la nuit
Qui jamais ne s'arrête
Les conduira vers Lui
Dans las nuit radieuse
En route ils son déjà
Ils vont l'âme joyeuse
Jésus est né, in excelsis gloria!

Pour l'enfant qui repose
Dans un petit berceau
Humblement ils déposent
Hommages et cadeaux
Comme eux, l'âme ravie
Chrétiens, suivons ses pas
Son amour nous convie
Jésus est né, in excelsis gloria!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Genie
Date: 19 Sep 02 - 07:32 PM

Merci, Barry!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Marion
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 04:05 PM

Thanks for the French version, Barry.

So my understanding is that the music was an old French Christmas carol, then Fr. Brebeuf put Huron lyrics to it that described the birth of Christ as it might have happened in Canada (rather than translating the French)? Then it was translated back into French and later into English keeping the Canadian setting - so there's both an old and new French version, both about Christmas, but one is conventional and one uses Canadian images like the English version I posted at the top?

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 04:31 PM

And here are the Huron words. But I agree that it might not be too good an idea singing them without checking with a speaker.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: masato sakurai
Date: 21 Sep 02 - 10:13 PM

This carol is contained in Sanbika 21 [The Hymnal 21] (Nihon Kirisutokyoudan, 1997, No. 254), standard Protestant hymnal in Japan, as "Kotori mo tobisaru fuyu no sanaka" (tune name: UNE JEUNE PUCELLE). The first stanza is as follows:

Kotori mo tobisaru fuyu no sanaka,
Hoshi yori mabayui mitsukaira no
Yorokobi no koe ga hibikuyo, mori no naka.
REFRAIN:
Kono hi Iesu wa umareta.
In excelsis gloria.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: masato sakurai
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 10:20 PM

There are various translations of "Huron Carol" HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 11:29 PM

Always hated this carol. Just another reminder of the destruction of aboriginal culture and the imposition of a foreign culture and mythology.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Nov 05 - 07:22 AM

I'm still trying to get a choir to learn this and to this end have tried printing it out. As with the poster above, I can't get the best version to print (Adobe reader whatever version) but managed to get a midi from another site and have a Noteworthy programme that will produce dots from the midi file. Must warn you though, it's at a rollicking pace and that makes it hard to fit the words in!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Nov 05 - 11:05 AM

The site linked to above (posted Date: 22 Sep 02 - 10:20 PM ) has moved to HURON CHRISTMAS CAROL - JESOUS AHATONHIA of FATHER ST. JEAN de BREBEUF.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 02:52 PM

Refresh. Note link by Masato, above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Huron Carol
From: Genie
Date: 03 Dec 08 - 07:49 AM

I've found quite a few renditions of this song on YouTube. Some are just instrumental, most are in English, but this one -    The Huron Carol sung in Wendat (Huron), French and English by Heather Dale is especially beautiful and haunting.