Cantiga de Santa Maria: Prologo Attributed to King Alfonso X el Sabio de Castile (1221-1284)
Quantas Sabedes d’ Amar Amigo from 7 Canciones d’Amigo, Martim Codex (fl. 1230), Gallecia
Cantigas de Santa Maria:
De Resorgir #334 & En todo logar a poder #168
Nahawand Kabir Khar Abdul Qadir Maraghi (mid 14th c. -1435), Persia
Cypriot Ballad #64: S’on veult d’Amours Anon from Turino Manuscript (14th c.), Cyprus
Helas mon Dueil Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474), France
Ricercar/Fantasia; Fantasia Francesco Canova da Milano (1497-1543), Italy
Fenice Fu Jacopo da Bologna (1340-1386), Italy
Zorongo (ancient Andalusian dance) arranged by Carlo Valte, text by Federico García Lorca (1898-1936), Andalusia
M’washah - Lama bada Traditional Arabic (text c. 1100), North Africa
INTERMISSION
Dle Yaman Ancient Armenian folk song
Four Persian Mystic Poems Reza Vali (born 1952) - World Premiere
ALBA Consort and Reza Vali dedicate this performance to the women of Iran in solidarity in their struggle for equality and human rights.
Prologo
Porque trobar é cousa en que jaz entendimento, poren queno faz
ao d'aver e de razon assaz, per que entenda e sabia dizer
o que entend' e de dizer lle praz, ca ben trobar assi s'a de ffazer.
As the work of a troubadour demands insight, a writer must have understanding, as well as reason, to put into words what is intended, which is the right way for a poet to create.
Quantas sabedes amar amigo, treides comig’ a lo mar de Vigo. E banñar nos emos nas ondas.
Quantas sabedes amar amado, treides comig’ a lo mar levado.
E banñar nos emos nas ondas.
Treides comigo a lo mar de Vigo e veremos o meu amigo.
E banñar nos emos nas ondas.
Treides comigo a lo mar levado e veremos o meu amado.
E banñar nos emos nas ondas.
Those who know love, come to the sea at Vigo,
and we will bathe in the waves.
If you know the love of a beloved, come to the rising sea
and we will bathe in the waves.
Come with me to the sea at Vigo to see my love,
and we will bathe in the waves.
Come with me where the sea rises, we will see my beloved,
and bathe in the waves
De resorgir ome morto deu nostro Sennor poder
a sa Madr’ e toda cousa guardar de se non perder.
E d’esto fez en Terena, ond’ averedes sabor,
un miragr’ a Virgen santa, Madre de nostro Sennor,
que ov’ hũa vez guarido uun mancebo lavrador
d’un mui gran mal que avia que lle fezeran fazer.
A Farmer had a wife who wished him harm. She mixed some herbs with wine. He tasted it and went mad and was paralyzed. His relatives decided to take him to Terena, but he died on the way. When they reached Terena they placed him in front of the Virgin’s altar. He was revived and his senses were restored.
En todo logar á poder a Virgen a quen quer valer.
Eo mirargre foy assy: Hũa moller morava y
Que seus fillos, com’apendi, en pouco ten foi perder.
Do postremeiro que morreu tan gran coita dele prendeu
Que a poucas ensandeceu; e fillou-ss’ assi a dizer:
En todo logar á poder a Virgen a quen quer valer.
E dous dias o tev’ enton charando mui de corac̡on
Rogando con gran devoc̡on, atendo seu ben fazer.
E tan taste assi o fez areynna de gran prez
Ressucitou-llo dessa vez e fez-llo nos brac̡os viver.
In all places has the virgin power to aid whomever She will.
The miracle happened thus: A woman’s children
as I learned, within a short time perished.
She grieved so deeply for the last one who died,
that she almost went mad. She began to say,
In all places has the virgin power to aid whomever She will.
For two days she kept him, weeping with all her heart,
praying with great devotion and waiting for Her grace.
She did so and the worthy Queen
resuscitated him immediately and made him come to life in her arms.
S’on veult d’Amours avoir la compangnie
Et a ses biens joyeusement partir
Doit sens avoir et toute courtoisie
Avoir en luy pour singuler plaisir.
Car parletz poins peut en amer joir;
Aultrement bien se peut d’amours passer,
Car mieux li est que son temps occuper.
Sur toute rien fuir doit vilanie
Et mal engin, s’il se veult maintenir
Pour vrai amant toustans sans departie,
Et toute honnour partaitement chierir,
Che m’est avis, vrayement sans mentir;
Aultrement bien se peut d’amours passer,
Car mieux li est que son temps occuper.
If we want to find Love
and reap its many benefits,
We need faith and courtesy
and obtain a single pleasure.
Say little so that you can enjoy the love,
Otherwise we can do without love
And have better things to do to occupy our time
We must avoid all wickedness and bad deeds
If we want to forever maintain
true love between two lovers,
Always to cherish and honor -
That's my opinion, honestly, truthfully,
Otherwise we can do without love
And have better things to do to occupy our time
Zorongo
Tengo los ojos azules, tengo los ojos azules
Y el corazoncillo igual que la cresta de la lumbre.
De noche me salgo al patio y me harto de llorar
De ver que te quiero tanto y tu no me quieres nà.
La luna es un pozo chico, Las flores no valen nada,
Lo que valen son tus brazos Cuando de noche me abrazan.
Lo que valen son tus brazos Cuando de noche me abrazan.
Esta gitana esta loca, pero loquita de atar,
Que lo que suenas de noche, quiere que sea verdad.
Las manos de mi cariño Te están bordando una capa
Con agremán de alhiehíes y con esclavina de agua.
Cuando fuiste novio mio Por la primavera blanca,
Los cascos de tu caballo Cuatro sollozos de plata.
I have blue eyes, I have blue eyes
and my little heart is just like the tip of the flame.
By night I go out on the court and I cry until I´m spent
seeing that I love you so much and you don´t love me at all.
The moon is a shallow well, the flowers aren´t worth anything,
what is truly worthy are your arms when they hug me at night,
what is truly worthy are your arms when they hug me at night.
This gypsy woman is mad, she is raving mad,
for she wishes that what you dream at night would come true.
The hands of my love are weaving a cape for you
with a gimp made of wallflowers and a hood made of water.
When you were my boyfriend, back then on the white spring,
the hooves of your horse were four sobs made of silver.
لما بدا يتثنى
لما بدا يتثنى
حبي جمالو فتنى
أوما بلحظـه أسـرن
أوما بلحظـه أسـرن
غصن ثنى حين مال
وعدي ويا حيرتــي
وعدي ويا حيرتــي
مالي رحيم شـكوتي
في الحب من لوعتـي
إلا مليك الجمــال
في الحب من لوعتـي
Mwasha: Lamma Bada
Lamma bada Yatathanna
Hubbi jamalu fatanna
Aman' Aman' Aman' Aman
Aw ma bi LaHzu asarna
Ghusnu thana Hinamal
Waadi wa ya Hirati Man li shafeeashak wati
Illa maleekul jamal
Fil hubbi min lawaati
Aman' Aman' Aman' Aman
She walked with a swaying gait. Her beauty amazed me.
Her eyes have taken me prisoner
Her form folded as she knelt.
Oh, my promise, my perplexity,
Who can answer my lament
of love and distress
but the graceful one,
the queen of beauty.
Դլե յաման,
Մեր տուն, ձեր տուն իրար դիմաց,
Վա՜յ, դլե յաման,Մենք սիրեցինք
Յաման, յաման:
Դլե յաման,
Արև դիպավ Մասիս սարին,
Վա՜յ, դլե յաման,
Կարոտ մնացի ես իմ յարին,
Յաման, յաման:
Dle yaman, Mer tun , Dzer tun
dimac, dimac
Dle yaman,
menk siretsink arants imac
Yaman, Yaman, Yar
Dle yaman Arev dipav Masis sarin,
Dle yaman, Karot mnaci es im yarin,
Yaman, Yaman, Yar
Alas, Alas,
Our houses face each other,
Oh, Alas, We loved each other without knowing.
Alas, Alas, O My love!
Alas, Alas,
the sun has touched Mt. Ararat
Oh, Alas, I long for my lover
Alas, Alas, O My love!
Four Persian Mystic Songs translations by Reza Vali
I. Darse Sahar The morning Discourse, poem by Hafez
We left the morning discourse on the way to the tavern
We threw the seeds of our prayers to the way of the beloved
It will set fire
to the root of every sanctimonious zealot
This mark that we put
on each bewildered hearth
The reign of the eternity bestowed upon us
the treasure of the sorrow of love
So that we could enter
into this dilapidated world
II. Gham Makhor Do Not Sorrow, poem by Hafez
The lost Joseph will return to Canaan do not sorrow
The house of grief will become the garden of joy, do not sorrow
O bewildered hearth, you will feel better do not despair
Your turbulent life will come to peace, do not sorrow
Walking in the desert, longing for the Kaaba*
If you encounter any hardship do not sorrow
III. The Mystery of the Rose, poem by Sepehri
It is not our task
to understand the mystery of the rose
Our task is perhaps
to float on the mesmerizing spell of a rose
Our task is perhaps
that in between the lotus flower and the century
To seek the call of the truth
The call of the truth...
The call...
The call...
IV. When I think of the Creator, poem by Rumi
When I think of the creator
I feel good
I empty my head from any thought
I feel good
I have no silver or gold
I depend on no one
And fear no one
All I have is an old Kelim**
But I feel good
Everywhere I ask
Everywhere I search
Everywhere I seek
I seek only the beloved.
———————————-
The reign of the eternity bestowed upon us
the treasure of the sorrow of love
So that we could enter
into this dilapidated world
(Hafez)
———————————-
When I think of the creator
I feel good...
*Kaaba: the house of God, an allusion to longing for the beloved
**Kelim: a flat woven carpet rug