Que desembre congelat?

Subject: Que desembre congelat?
From: Haruo
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 02:58 AM

There's a (traditional) Catalán Christmas carol that starts in some versions "El desembre congelat" and in others "Lo desembre congelat"; what's the difference? And what is the relationship between this carol and the Spanish (Castilian) text (which I think is a recent writing) "En el frío invernal" to the same tune? And how is the usual English rendering "Cold December flies away" related to them (it's usually presented as an English version of "En el frío invernal", but its first line sure looks a lot more like the Català...

Haruo
Only 300 and some odd shopping days till...

Subject: RE: Que desembre congelat?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 04:35 AM

In the Bleak Midwinter, is another hymn with a similar title, and It's also one of my favourites.
Giok

Subject: RE: Que desembre congelat?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 11:31 PM

Don't have an atlas by me, but apparently "Lo..." is a Santoréns version and "El..." is from Barcelona (eight verses). At least that is what I gather from this site: descembre congelat
The versions are different from those at ingeb, which also has an English version (quite changed, as usual): El desembre

Hope someone knows Catalan.

Subject: RE: Que desembre congelat?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 11:34 PM

Error! desembre

Subject: RE: Que desembre congelat?
From: Haruo
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 04:14 AM

The New Oxford Book of Carols has an interesting, new and improved setting for In the Bleak Midwinter, incidentally, in addition to the customary Holst tune known as Cranham. NOBC also has an "El desembre" version of the Catalán text in question, with their own translation, but the copious notes don't explain the "Lo/El" thing. Is there a difference of meaning or is it just a matter of dialect?

Haruo