What song should we have at Christmas Eve but a Christmas Carol, and I’m going to post the most popular Christmas Carol in all of Italy, the beautiful “Tu scendi dalle stele.”
There is a little back history to this song. The melody and original lyrics were written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, a priest and eventually bishop who lived through most of the 18th century (1696-1787). He was a prolific writer and eventually made a Doctor of the Church. He was born in the Campania region which is the region where I was also born. In fact his Cathedral as Bishop was in the city of Benevento, which is not far from where I was born. In addition he was the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly called the Redemptorists. He was canonized in 1839, just some fifty or so years after his death. That’s quite a history.
Most Catholics today know him for his Marian devotional books, but his noteworthy publications deal with moral theology. It’s on that basis he was made a Doctor of the Church.
But
he also wrote songs. Obviously he was a
man of learning. I can’t find the
original lyrics but I will provide the ones that have been so popular in Italy
with the English translation
1. Tu scendi dalle
stelle,
O Re del Cielo,
e vieni in una grotta,
al freddo al gelo.
O Bambino mio Divino
Io ti vedo qui a tremar,
O Dio Beato
Ahi, quanto ti costò
l’avermi amato!
2. A te, che sei del
mondo
il Creatore,
mancano panni e fuoco;
O mio Signore!
Caro eletto Pargoletto,
Quanto questa povertà
più mi innamora!
Giacché ti fece amor
povero ancora!
English
1. From starry skies
descending,
Thou comest, glorious
King,
A manger low Thy bed,
In winter’s icy sting;
O my dearest Child most
holy,
Shudd’ring, trembling in
the cold!
Great God, Thou lovest
me!
What suff’ring Thou didst
bear,
That I near Thee might
be!
2. Thou art the world’s
Creator,
God’s own and true Word,
Yet here no robe, no fire
For Thee, Divine Lord.
Dearest, fairest,
sweetest Infant,
Dire this state of
poverty.
The more I care for Thee,
Since Thou, O Love
Divine,
Will’st now so poor to
be.
First
I’ll embed a children’s chorus, because it’s so made for children to sing.
That
is such an endearing melody. I’ll also
post a more sophisticated rendition, the tempo slowed down just enough to give
it a contemplative tone, sung by the incredible Andrea Bocellli.
Merry
Christmas!
