Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds

Subject: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Nov 03 - 11:14 PM

Just now I sent Joe Offer a MIDI of a charming Christmas song which my church is doing this year. It is called "Come Hasten, Ye Shepherds," and our choir leader got the copies, which are yellow with age, from a small Presbyterian church which is going out of business.

The credits merely say that the tune is traditional. Not a lot of help!

Does anybody recognize this tune? If so where is it from?

Even if you don't recognize it, you are welcome to download it and enjoy it this Christmas.

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Click to play/Right-Click to Download

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Kudzuman
Date: 25 Nov 03 - 11:30 PM

download it from where?

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 02:22 AM

I just posted leeneia's MIDI. It's a very pretty tune, but I don't recognize it. Leeneia, can you post the lyrics?
I find Internet references to a song by Emma Lou Diemer called "Come Hasten Ye Shepherds." Is that the one? There's also a German carol with that name - maybe Diemer did the English?
-Joe Offer-

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Click to play

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 11:43 AM

Somehow I can't get that tune above played. Is it similar to
this?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 11:51 AM

or this?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 11:53 AM

Not the first tune I gave: that's Come all you shepherds in English.

W.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 03:27 PM

Hi, Wolfgang. If you can't play our tune direct, try right-clicking and downloading.
It's not the same tune as those others.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 04:30 PM

I have it in Christmas Carols of Northern Europe, Walton Music Corporation. This is a portion of The International Book of Christmas Carols, 1963, 1992 by Walter Ehret and George K. Evans. (arrangements by Ehret and translations by Evans.)

It's translated in this book as Come Running, You Shepherds, (O Laufet, Ihr Hirten). It says: Traditional German [GKE] and Traditional Silesian Carol [WE}. It gives three verses in German and then translated into English. I'll post them later.

Subject: Lyr Add: COME RUNNING, YOU SHEPHERDS
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 06:36 PM

Come Running, You Shepherds, is the usual English title. Three verses seem standard. Mary in Kentucky, this may save you a bit- I would like to see the German, however, since I didn't make a copy.

Lyr. Add: COME RUNNING, YOU SHEPHERDS

Come running, you shepherds, as fast as you can,
With flutes and with bagpipes, and with your whole clan.
We're going to see, in Bethlehem's stall,
The Child whom the angels announced to us all.

This beautiful Infant puts angels to shame!
Beside Him, shy Joseph is breathing his name.
And Mary is there- so sweet but so pale!
My heart fills with pity to see her so frail.

My neighbors, we're making a cradle for Him,
To tuck Him in snug from the night, cold and grim.
Loo, loo, lovely Babe, loo, loo- go to sleep.
O dear little Jesus, loo, loo- go to sleep.

Traditional Silesian carol. Translation of "O laufet, ihr Hirten," from "The International Book of Christmas Carols," p. 154.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 07:31 PM

O laufet ihr Hirten, lauft alle zugleich,
Und nehmen Schalmeien und Pfeifen mit euch!
Lauft alle zumal mit freudigem Schall,
Nach Bethlehem zum Kripplein, zum Kripplein im Stall!

Ein Kindlein ist geboren, wie ein Engel so schön!
Dabei auch sein herzlieber Vater tut stehn.
Ein' Jungfrau, schön zart nach englischer Art:
Es hat mich erbarmet ganz inniglich hart.

Mein Nachbar, lauf hurtig, bring's Wieglein daher!
Will Kindlein drein legen, es frieret so sehr.
Ei, eia popei, lieb's Kindel, schlaf ein
Im Kripplein, zart's Jesulein, eia popei!

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 08:30 PM

Lovely!

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 10:26 PM

That's it! It's a German and/or Silesian carol.

Now about those German words: Ein' Jungfrau, schön zart nach englischer Art

This seems to be saying that Mary looks English. I think it is supposed to say she looks angelic (Engel). German speakers, please explain.


And what does "eia popei" mean?

Wolfgang, I couldn't listen to your tunes. My speakers are not hooked up, due to the remodeling of my house.

To anyone who wants to download the song -- I made an error. I should have started the song out with two quarter-note rests. The first measure should contain the two rests and a D. The D is a pick-up note.

MIDI doesn't seem to recognize pick-up notes. When downloading, it puts the first note at the beginning of the first measure, even though the sender set it up as a pick-up note. This problem is something to watch for when working with MIDI's.

While getting this song ready for my friends, I ran the third verse through my folk processor, It came out like this:

Oh, helper, run quickly, a woolen fleece to bring.
A blanket to shelter this shiv'ring lit-tle King.
Look, here is a blan'ket, so cozy and warm.
Sleep well, infant Je-sus, we'll keep you from harm.

This is a song about shepherds, so why drag in some neighbor with furniture in the last verse? Shepherds were about one step above hoboes in Jesus' time, and they don't get much chance to shine.

I am considering changing "infant" to "little".

Thank you, Joe Offer, for helping witht the MIDI.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 10:49 PM

Hi leeneia,

It just so happens that this carol is one of the next ones I want to write as a full midi. I love the harmonies, much of it in close thirds. You don't by any chance sing alto? It's always fun to sing those harmonies as an alto.

As far a pick up notes -- I think you can write several rests, then your notes in order to make measure number one a full measure. Also, I think I noticed another mistake in the midi. The note for Schall (in your words, on the word joy, at the end of the third line)is F# but should be an A. As written in The International Book of Christmas Carols, the F# is the harmony note, and the melody note is A. (Everyone else, just make the note on the last word of the third line one third higher.)

The word englischer is correctly transcribed from the book. I like to see several translations because usually the one that rhymes doesn't follow the words precisely. And the one that is more literal doesn't always sing well. I really prefer knowing the literal translation and then just singing/hearing it in the original language.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 26 Nov 03 - 11:00 PM

leeneia, you might also post your words. I noticed in the midi that they are different from the ones Q and I are seeing in The International Book of Christmas Carols.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 03:00 AM

Here are the lyrics from Leeneia's MIDI:

Come has-ten, ye shep-herds, come one and come all.
Come, let us go find Him, the Child in the stall.
Bring with you your pipes, we will lis-ten with joy.
Now haste to the man-ger to find'the love-ly Boy.

The Babe like an an-gel, so love-ly, so fair;
The mo-ther and fa-ther keep watch o'er him there.
The mo-ther so good, so _ ten-der and mild,
Is guard-ing in slum-ber the sweet ho-ly Child.

Are there more verses, Leeneia?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: O LAUFET, IHR HIRTEN
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 06:30 AM

Lyr. Add: O LAUFET, IHR HIRTEN

O laufet, ihr Hirten, lauft alle zugleich
Und nehmet Schalmeien und Pfeifen mit euch!
Lauft alle zumal mit freudigem Schall.
Nach Bethlehem zum Kripplein, zum Kripplein im Stall.

Ein kindlein is g'sehen wie Engel so schön,
Dabei auch sein alter Vater tut stehn.
Eine Jungfrau schön zart, nach englischer Art:
Es hat mich erbarmet ganz inniglichhart.

Ach wen ich nur hätte mein Häuslein dahier,
Das dorten im Tale alleine tut stehn,
Wie wär' ich so froh, bleib alleweil do,
Ein essen wollt' kochen und warten schön auf.

Was soll ich dem Kindlein verehen zur Gab?
Ein Lämmlein ist alles, was ich nur hab,
Ein Windlein dazu, gilt's auch schon mein'm Bu,
Damit man das Kindlein kann decken fein zu.

Mein Nachbar, lauf hurtig, bring's Wieglein daher!
Will's Kindlein reinlegen, es zittert so sehr.
Ei, eia, popei! Liebes Kindel, schlaf ein!
Im Krippel zart's Jesulein, ei, eia, popei!

More complete South German lyrics, from Robokopp.
O laufet, ihr Hirten

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 06:58 AM

Leeneia,

full marks for 'angelic', a more modern word would be 'engelsgleich' if you don't care about the meter.

'Eia popeia (eiapopeia)' has no real meaning, but comes up in a couple of lullaby type songs. Ei(a) is a term we use concomitant with affectionally stroking a kid or from a kid. So we would say "mach mal ei(a)" to get the kid to stroke a dog.

My dictionary says "Eia popeia" is roughly "hushaby".

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 07:01 AM

BTW, 'Schalmei' a very old instrument, my dictionary gives 'shawm' which I never heard before.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 07:20 AM

Leeneia is correct on the "englischer Art." In German ecclesiastical writing it means angelic. Englisher Gruss is an eccl. greeting (Langenscheidt, New Concise German Dictionary).

The 'ei, eia" means Oh! Ah! Look! Not sure about the popei, but it seems to be part of the phrase (??Gee, look at him, you ordinary folk!).

Furniture- don't see anything wrong in asking for a cradle for a baby who is shivering. Just normal southern (German) hospitality gearing up.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 12:28 PM

The English word is 'shawm'; shalmuse (obsolete), old French chalemei, and several other spellings, all obsolete, referring to a medieval instriment of the oboe class, having a double reed enclosed in a globular mouthpiece. The word is found in English use from the 14th century. See OED, long discussion with examples of use from the 14th to the 19th c.

The shawm has been revived for some period performances. One of the English 'translations' above refers to a bagpipe, which is incorrect. The last syllable, muse, probably was influenced by association with 'Muse,' bagpipe, but incorrectly so.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Nov 03 - 01:44 PM

The shawm is illustrated and discussed here, with sound: Shawm

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Wolfgang
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 06:46 AM

The second line in Mary's German version has a typo. It has to read (like in Q's version)

Und nehmet Schalmeien und Pfeifen mit euch!

Q, thanks for the information about that instrument. I did know the German word but I had no idea what type of instrument that was. I disagree, however, about the incorrectness of the translation. I took it that 'Schalmei' was translated with 'flute' and 'Pfeife' with '(bag)pipe'. 'Pfeife' can be (rarely) used in German as a synonym for 'Dudelsack'. I don't know whether it is meant this way in the song here, but the translator was not completely off with this interpretation.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 07:08 PM

hmmmmm...the International Book of Christmas Carols (at least the Christmas Carols of Northern Europe version) has nehmen instead of nehmet. I assume it's a minor difference having to do with verb tenses or something. Surely it was proofread by a German speaker. ;-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 07:47 PM

Nehmen, to take. Und (you, pl.) nehmet- And take shawm and pipes with you!

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 11:46 PM

This is an interesting thread.

Thanks for the explanation about Ei, popeia, Wolfgang.

Q: in my opinion, the problem with the furniture is that the shepherd's are being thrust offstage. Surely, if it's a song about them, they ought not to get shoved aside for a member of the bourgeousie. (sp)

Isn't the shawm related to the bombard, which is still used in Breton folk music?

Joe, here is the third and final English verse

Oh neighbor, run quickly, a cradle to bring
from cold winds to shelter this dear little thing.
Ah, here is your cradle, so cozy and warm!
Sleep well, little Jesus, we'll keep you from harm.

Frankly, I think it's kind of sappy.

BTW, our edition is a Schirmer, copyright 1956. It says that the tune is traditional, arranged by Walter Ehret.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come hasten, ye shepherds
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 02 Dec 03 - 05:56 AM

Thanks for that verse- I think this song may actually appear in our pageant on the 22d.
Allison