Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus (anon. medieval carol)

Subject: Lyr Add: ORIENTIS PARTIBUS (anon. medieval carol)
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:36 PM

ORIENTIS PARTIBUS
anon. medieval carol

Orientis partibus
adventavit asinus,
pulcher et fortissimus,
Sarcinis aptissimus.
Hez, Sir Asnes, hez!

From the East the donkey came,
Stout and strong as twenty men;
Ears like wings and eyes like flame,
Striding into Bethlehem.
Heh! Sir Ass, oh heh!

Faster than the deer he leapt,
With his burden on his back;
Though all other creatures slept,
Still the ass kept on his track.
Heh! Sir Ass, oh heh!

Still he draws his heavy load,
Fed on barley and rough hay;
Pulling on along the road --
Donkey, pull our sins away!
Heh! Sir Ass, oh heh!

Wrap him now in cloth of gold;
All rejoice who see him pass;
Mirth inhabit young and old
On this feast day of the ass.
Heh! Sir Ass, oh heh!

@ Christmas
from The Christmas Revels Songbook, Revels Inc., Cambridge
see also The Friendly Beasts

MT

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Related threads:

• 17842 (click)
• 16151 (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 06:43 AM

Isn't this a great song? Doesn't it originate from the Piae Cantiones or someplace like that?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 07:42 AM

Latin words and translation ("Song of the Ass") is HERE. Sound clips are . Scores are HERE (with English words: "Conquering kings their titles take", and MIDI); and HERE (PDF file; without words). A list of albums containing "Lux hodie...Orientis partibus: 'Donkey's Carol' by Anonymous" is HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 07:47 AM

Sorry, again. Sound clip is HERE.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 07:02 PM

ABC notation here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 08:05 PM

Hi T! I'm glad you checked in. Now I can tell you that I've remembered your words about this song and modes and I finally get it! Art's post here helped also.

I made midis of Orientis Partibus here, and The Friendly Beasts here. I can finally hear the flatted 7th in the Mixolydian mode of Orientis. Are the two songs about the right tempo? If so I'll send one line midis to Joe. ***Note -- these links will disappear after Christmas. If anyone wants to hear them they can PM me.***

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 05:50 PM

Masato linked the Latin and translation, but in case the site disappears, here are the lyrics. Partly different verses in another thread.

Lyr. Add: Orientis partibus, Song of the Ass

Orientis partibus
adventavit asinus
pulcher et fortissimus
sarcinis aptissimus

Hez, sire asne, Hez
(after each verse)

Saltu vincit hinnulos
damas et capreolos
^^^ super dromedarios
velox madianeos
3
Hic in collibus Sychen
iam nutritus sub Ruben
transit per Jordanem
saliit in Bethlehem
4
Dum trahit vehicula
multa cum sarcinula
illius mandibula
dura terit pabula
5
Cum aristis, hordeum
comedit et carduum
triticum ex palea
segregat in area
6
Amen dicas, asine
Iam satur es gramine
amen, amen itera
aspernare vetera
---------------
In eastern lands,
the ass arrived,
pretty and so strong,
fit for burden.

Get up, Sir Ass, get up

In his leaps he conquers the mules,
the fallow deer and roebucks,
and surpasses the fast
camels of the Medes.

Here in the hills of Scychen,
already suckled below the Ruben,
he crosses the Jordan;
he enters Bethlehem.

While he pulls carts,
many with heavy loads,
his jaws
grind tough fodder.

He eats barley, beards and all,
and spiny thistles.
He separates the wheat from the chaff
on the threshing floor.

You say "amen", ass,
all filled with grass,
"amen", "amen" once again,
spurning the past.

English translation copyright 1998 by Curtis Clark.
www.tapiasgold.com/december_rains/lyrics/orientis_partibus.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 02:33 AM

This song features as something of liet motif throughout the Clemencic Consort's La Fete de L'Ane in which the reconstruct a medieval Feast of the Ass. Whilst you'd be hard pushed to track down a copy of the vinyl or the CD, you can download it entirely gratis from HERE. A nice one for the season!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 01:05 PM

La Fete de L'Ane and other Clemencic Consort recordings should be remastered and re-reissued on cd. I have the vinyl but would like a cd as well. Used copies are very expensive.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Orientis Partibus
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 21 Dec 09 - 01:51 PM

The CD editions have been and gone, Q! A decade or more now, alas. You can pick up the CD of La Fete via Amazon.com for a small fortune ($40) - I would imagine the download above is a CD rip, so the quality should be okay.