Huh. It’s That Time
again.
Yep, it’s Advent, so you know
what that means—seasonal music. For the season of preparation and reflection.
And since I’m currently in Québec City, let’s start this off with something en
français.
“Venez, divin Messie”
was written by abbé Simon-Joseph
Pellegrin in the late 17th Century, with a melody that dates from
about that time. It appears in many anglophone hymnbooks as “O Come, Divine
Messiah”, and it fits in with the seasonal theme of preparing for the Saviour’s
birth. It’s got quite a lively, almost jolly, feel to it. I picture it as
something you might listen to while cleaning your house for holiday visitors,
cranking up the volume so you can hear it over your vacuum cleaner.
It’s got five verses
plus the refrain, so I’ll only give you a bit of the French.
Venez, divin Messie
Sauvez nos jours
infortunés,
Venez source de Vie
Venez, venez, venez!
Ah! Descendez, hâtez vos
pas;
Sauvez les hommes du
trépas,
Secourez-nous, ne tardez
pas.
Dans une peine extreme,
Gémissent nos coeurs
affligés.
Venez Bonté Suprême,
Venez, venez, venez!
You’ll notice the
repeated “venez”—come! The singer is so eager to welcome the Messiah, s/he just
can’t wait.
Here’s that bit as it
appears in English hymnbooks:
O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence
waits the day
When hope shall sing its
triumph,
And sadness flee away.
Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and
show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn
of grace.
TBH, the English text
looks like it’s just a whole different thing. Here’s how I’d translate:
O come, divine Messiah
Rescue us from our unhappiness.
O come, source of life
Come, come, come.
Come down, hurry your
steps,
Save mankind from death.
Help us, don’t delay
Our afflicted hearts
Groan in extreme pain
Come, Supreme Good
Come, come, come.
Well, I get it—hard to
fit an exact translation into a good tune. So just have a listen. With or
without the vacuum cleaner.
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