Some Gregorian Chant for the Season

3 comments:

Texan99 said...

:-) Today's NYT xword is along these same lines, but without the Latin. A clever rebus.

Korora said...

I found a Latin translation of the original song in a book of Latin crosswords (by Henry Beard, who inflicted Bored of the Rings on us, though this translation of a preexisting song is better then that novel-length travesty of the Professor). I give it here (following the convention in Latin of only ever capitalizing proper nouns), substituting "Nīcolāus" for "Iuppiter" in the bridge* for obvious reasons:

"Rūfe, nāsūte cerue,
"nāsus tuus ruber stat.
"immo, sī uērē dīcam,
"nāsus tuus cōnflagrat.

"omnēs (ad ūnum) ceruī
"eum rīsū lacerant.
"miserō Rūfō numquam
"lascīvīre sēcum dant.

"nebulōsō uesperī,
"uenit Nīcolāus.
"'Rūfe, nitidō uultū,
"'nunc Nīcolāum trahēs tū?'

"illum nunc amant omnēs.
"audī quam clāmāverint,
"'Rūfe, nāsūte cerue,
"'omnēs tē meminerint!'"

"Rufus, nosy deer,
"Thy nose stands [out] red.
"Indeed, if I speak true,
"Thy nose is on fire.

"All (to one) deer
"Hurt him [with their] laughter.
"Poor Rufus [they] never
"Give [permission] to play with them.

"One foggy evening
"Comes Nicholas.
"'Rufus, with thy shining face,
"'Shalt pull Nicholas?'"

"That one now they all love.
"Hear them shout,
"'Rufus, nosy deer,
"'All shall remember thee!'"

*Beard had "...Iuppiter/'Rūfe, nitidō uultū/sānē Iouem...'" ("...Jupiter./'Rufus. with shining face,/Surely Jupiter...'"

Grim said...

Very nice.